


Forced Progression

by DisneyOTPFanatic



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Brutasha - Freeform, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 33,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27374731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisneyOTPFanatic/pseuds/DisneyOTPFanatic
Summary: The Avengers find themselves on the verge of a Hydra resurgence, and the only way to stop it is to go undercover.Danger, peril, possibly even death... all expected in a situation like this.But a whirlwind romance between two of the most damaged people on the team? That's a new one.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Natasha Romanov
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go with some Brutasha! New chapters are fairly regular, but honestly with everything going on, I can't guarantee anything. Doing my best, though!
> 
> Follow my Instagram for updates!

Bruce tugged at the collar of his suit, his brow furrowed as he silently wondered when it had gotten warmer in the crowded but large ballroom he stood in. When he had been told that he was ‘invited’ to this party, he'd hoped that he would be surrounded by other socially-awkward scientists and such, not wealthy benefactors and their significant others. It was a scientific benefit event.

No one would meet his apprehensive gaze, they would simply look him up and down before returning to their own conversations as he maneuvered through the crowd. He was basically invisible, which usually would be a good thing to him, but strangely he felt even more uncomfortable and out of place than ever.

A few people had come to try and strike up a conversation, but they quickly grew tired of his short one-word responses and excused themselves to find more interesting company.

These were Tony's type of people, not his. He felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb, even though his unruly salt-and-pepper curls were kept hostage under the bald cap and dirty blonde wig he wore to blend in with the other dyed heads around him. The sky blue contacts he wore made his eyes ache, he'd had them in all day long. He knew they were just another measure to make sure he wasn't identified, but that didn't mean he had to like them. He could feel traces of the Other Guy brushing his subconscious, itching to make an unwelcome appearance. Bruce was almost tempted to let him out, feeling desperate for anything to get him out of this place.

Peeking over the crowd, he could see the front door only a few minutes of maneuvering away. He could easily slip out and no one would notice. So why hadn't he?

“Hey, you alright?” 

Ah, there was the reason.

Despite how startled he initially was at the feeling of her hand wrapping around his wrist, Natasha's voice sent a calming wave over him. Even the Hulk seemed to be lulled into a kind of slumber for now. Bruce almost chuckled as he turned to her, realizing just how much his alter ego seemed to like Natasha. It was probably the only thing that he and the Hulk agreed on.

The gentle warmth in her smirk caused his palms to sweat at his side and he was silently glad she hadn't reached for his hand. He would never get used to seeing her so… out of uniform.

Despite the jet black wig and hazel contacts she wore, she was still a vision in black, the silky material of the simple knee-length dress she wore shimmering in the light. His fingers twitched as he ran his eyes over her quickly, his fingertips aching to simply touch her, as if to ground himself from the fight-or-flight response he was feeling. But he knew better, they weren't supposed to draw any unwanted attention to themselves here, simply gather intel for Steve on a potential threat to resurrect HYDRA. But that didn't stop the urge to suddenly ignore the rational part of his brain for once and yank her into his arms.

“Hello? Earth to Dr. B.” she raised an eyebrow at him, shortening his name to the letter he shared with his cover. “Dr. Bantu…?”

Bruce blinked, coming out of his daze and rubbing the back of his neck nervously with his other hand.

“Yeah, I'm alright. Sorry, Nat- uh…” he furrowed his brow for a brief second before remembering. “Ms. Regis.”

Natasha gave him a saucy smile, gesturing to the drink in her hand.

“I almost had to chase you down, you weren't where I left you.” she glanced around for a moment, remembering their cover when a man in a group near them gave her an odd look. “Did you actually want your drink, Doctor?”

Bruce felt a dull blush creep up his neck, having forgotten that their cover story for her sudden disappearance from his side (in case anyone noticed) was that he had been feeling faint and she, posing as his doting girlfriend, was grabbing him something to drink. She had actually been using the scanner in the black bracelet around her wrist to check if any of the laughing bureaucrats had traces of the serum they were currently tracking down on them.

“Er… ah, no thank you. I'm feeling much better.” he mumbled, moving his gaze to the crowd around them, who had suddenly ramped up the volume of their conversations and seemed to be closing the small spaces between each group. Bruce swallowed hard, his heartbeat increasing at the prospect of being trapped in a crowd. Great.

Natasha could read the rising anxiety all over him: the subtle twitch of his lip, the way his wrist tore from her grip as his hands made a hasty exit into his pockets. If she didn't do something soon, her nerdy partner would be waking up in the middle of the destroyed ballroom floor in ripped clothes, naked and trembling as he transformed back.

But that was what she was there for. When Steve had told her to bring Banner along, she'd immediately questioned the reason behind sending a socially anxious and claustrophobic man with a violent alter ego into a room full of stuck up rich idiots… but both she and Steve knew Banner was the only available man for the job. With Tony away for the next few months, only he would be able to analyze the readings from the scanner to ensure they would be following the right leads. That reason, along with the fact that Natasha seriously preferred Bruce's company over Tony's, was enough for Natasha to agree to try and win over the ‘big guy’. She could never imagine being able to pose as Tony’s girlfriend like she would need to for this mission, the man was too insufferable. Bruce on the other hand...

“I appreciate the compliment but...Do you really want me in a crowd? I mean, think about it. Me, surrounded by people whose sole goal in life is to look down on others. Did you forget about the Other Guy? I’m getting heated just thinking about it.”

But she made him see reason, reminding him that 1. The Lullaby was working like a charm, and 2. Hulk listened to her. He wouldn't hurt anyone if she told him not to.

At least, she hoped so.

But he’d even tried backing out after they'd started walking into the venue. He'd taken one look at the large crowd of people flooding in behind and in front of them and turned to her, fear in his eyes.

“I'm sorry, Nat. I can't do this.”

It was only when she stealthily reminded him of the importance of the mission, and let him know she would be at his side all night that he let out a shaky breath and followed her inside.

Bringing herself back to the present, Natasha reached out and took his trembling hand in hers, intertwining their fingers and pressing their palms together tightly. His eyes met hers and she heaved an inward sigh of relief. His taut muscles began to relax, a deep red blush crawling up his neck and into his face.

He watched her closely as she quickly downed the drink in her hand, the one ‘meant for him’. She smiled, handing the empty glass to a waiter who passed by. She turned to the middle of the ballroom, where a few of the wealthy guests were trying to mingle while also trying to show off their ballroom dancing skills. 

Natasha hummed softly, tossing an idea back and forth in her head. She glanced at Bruce, who wasn't looking at her. His eyes were all over the room, not settling on anything or anyone for very long. The apprehensive look on his face made the decision for her and she nudged him gently.

“Shall we dance, Dr. Bantu?”

Bruce's eyes widened as his frazzled mind realized what she'd asked him. Dance? Him? With her? Really? Wasn't this a mission? Was this part of it? Were all of her missions like this? Even with other members of the Avengers? Why did that bother him?

“Uh… Of course, Ms. Regis.” he said sheepishly, following her out of the crowd of mingling guests.

Natasha weaved through the crowd, her grip on his hand tightening slightly, her heart beginning to beat a bit quicker at the realization that she was about to dance… with Bruce. For the first time. And while on a mission, no less. It wouldn’t be an issue if she hadn’t been getting closer to him over the past few months. Unsure of whether or not the playful flirting, secret glances, and silent alone time together meant something, Natasha found herself wondering if this mission was going to accelerate or decelerate whatever relationship they had going. She really did enjoy Bruce’s company most out of all the Avengers. He didn’t ask invasive questions, didn’t make jokes at her expense or feel the need to elaborate on everything, he didn’t try to insert pop culture references into every conversation or relate something she said to some kind of long-winded Asgardian tale from long ago… He was just Bruce. Nerdy, awkward, sweet, caring Bruce Banner.

XXXXXX

Bruce wasn't sure where to place his hands as she stood in front of him, his fingers hovering above her frame as he struggled to ask what exactly he was supposed to do. The last time he'd danced with a girl was in high school, many years before the...incident. He’d had almost no shame, as teenage boys tended to, and even then had been slightly uncomfortable palming the girl’s backside the way she wanted him to. 

He knew that with Natasha, it was different. He didn't want to offend her by moving too quickly... he thought too highly of her. Thankfully, she took pity on him and took his wrists in her hands, moving his hands to rest on her hips. She chuckled as the familiar blush exploded onto his cheeks, his eyes looking everywhere but at her.

“Relax, Bruce. You look like a 13-year-old who's about to have his first kiss. Breathe, big guy.”

Bruce felt his pulse quicken at that, and all he could do was chuckle uneasily as she slid her hands up to his shoulders. He finally met her gaze and cleared his throat as they began swaying in time to the music, a slow tune that didn’t sound familiar to him.

“Did you… did you find anything?” he asked in a low tone, averting his gaze from hers for a moment to make sure no one was close by. Thankfully, no one was, and even if they were, the music and conversation overlapping around them was enough noise to keep their own conversation under wraps.

“I might have, I’m not sure.” she answered, leaning the slightest bit closer as she spoke. “I'll show you what the scanner picked up back at the Tower. Cap should be getting the info right now actually. For now, how about we enjoy ourselves for once?”

Bruce's brow furrowed, purposely ignoring her suggestion.

“Won't it be difficult to know who to go after if we leave?”

“Well, first of all, I'm not sure where we could slip off to in order to look at the results, where it wouldn't look like we were up to something…” she smirked. “The bathroom is private but I'm sure we would get a few suspicious looks if we went in together….”

Bruce couldn't stop himself from swallowing thickly at the idea of them sneaking into a cramped bathroom stall together. The idea was to not attract attention, and having security called on them because someone thought they were...well, you know… would complicate things.

“And second of all,” she continued. “We know Steve can’t decipher the data and let us know who we have to track. Especially with Tony gone and no comms. And third of all, I got DNA samples of each scan,” she shrugged. “just gentle scrapes of my bracelet, accidental bumps that no one would take notice of, and poof. Like magic, I've got tiny blood samples, all categorized.”

The corners of Bruce's lips lifted into a slight smile, his voice lowered as he subconsciously drew her closer so no one would hear him mentioning SHIELD.

“Sometimes the sophistication of the ‘leftover SHIELD tech’ makes me wonder just how advanced it was before it fell.” he shrugged. “Makes me wonder what it might have been capable of.”

Natasha watched his face for a moment, then realized he wasn't being suspicious, just stating a fact. And she had to admit that she saw Bruce's point. If technology as advanced as this was just the remnants of SHIELD, who knows what SHIELD could have accomplished if they had used their power correctly.

“Apparently not even the most tech savvy organization in the world could keep corruption out.” she muttered, her disposition quickly souring at the thought of the betrayal that had caused SHIELD's downfall.

Bruce flinched. He didn't mean to make her upset.

“Tony would resent you not referring to Stark Industries as the most tech savvy organization.”

“Stark Industries is just Tony's ego in its most physical form.” Natasha chuckled, rolling her eyes. “It's barely a business. Hardly an organization.”

“...True.” Bruce smiled, taking a deep breath.

An awkwardly long pause passed between them, Natasha's attention on something behind him. Bruce wracked his brain, searching for something to say.

“You know why I never liked SHIELD much?” he nearly blurted but managed to keep quiet, noticing that others had joined them on the dance floor.

Natasha noticed as well, drawing herself closer to him and resting her head against his shoulder, partially because she knew that public displays of affection usually made people keep their distance, and partially because being this close to Bruce was comforting in a way she couldn't describe. His arms moved around her back to hold her close, and she felt his heart pounding in his chest, a small smile on her lips. He really was like a kid at his first school dance.

“Was it Fury's incapability to see reason? Or Coulson's obsession with Cap?”

“Neither,” he smiled, silently relishing the way she seemed to be at complete and utter ease in his arms. He wondered if he would ever get to hold her this way again.

“What was it then?” her voice sounded serene in a way he had never heard before, and he felt the last of the tension in his body melt away.

“It actually started in Calcutta, when Fury sent you to find me.” he felt her tense. The rest of his explanation tumbled from his lips. “I wondered how a so-called good guy organization could send someone like you to recruit someone like me.”

Natasha lifted her head to meet his shy gaze, her head tilted in confusion.

“Meaning…?” 

Her breath ghosted over his face and he struggled to keep his mind on the right track.

“I wondered how… how SHIELD, who promised to keep people out of harm's way… could send this,” he chuckled uneasily. …”this fiery little redhead to recruit someone who could easily fly into a violent rage and snap her in half… it seemed like a stupid move. I didn't know if I wanted to be a part of an organization that would do that.”

“Is that why you were so hesitant to come with me?” Natasha raised an eyebrow.

“Well, yes… that did have something to do with it. That and the fact that you immediately lied about it just being the two of us.”

At her puzzled expression, he shrugged and smiled, averting his gaze from hers again.

“I heard the shuffling of the agents outside the hut while we were talking. They weren't that stealthy, not to me at least.”

Natasha blinked, then nodded slowly in understanding.

“Huh. That answers that question.” she chuckled, returning her head to his shoulder. “I just realized that I never asked you how you knew we weren't alone.”

“I guess I'm just good like that,” he murmured, his face burning as the tip of her nose brushed his neck.

They were quiet for a while, swaying gently to the music as the sound of the crowd around them faded away. Bruce felt a few hairs from Natasha’s wig brush his nose, and he moved his face away to keep from sneezing on her. Not only would that draw attention, but would ruin the semi calm mood she had managed to put him in.

With nowhere to look but around them, Bruce felt the familiar tinge of anxiety in his chest. The scattered judgemental gazes that were trained on him and Natasha caused him to tense. He hated judgemental gazes. It reminded him that he had a raging monster inside him, just begging to be set free so he could show everyone just how dangerous he was… even if no one here knew who he really was. Or did they? Why else would they be staring? Could they see through his disguise? Or were they simply wondering how he managed to end up with someone like Natasha in his arms? Either way, he felt an all too familiar feeling of nausea in the pit of his stomach, the kind he felt when he felt trapped. And in a way, he was. Trapped under the power of what felt like a million judgemental eyes.

That was why he’d tried to stay in Calcutta all those years ago. No one knew him well enough there to judge him. To them, he was a kind and caring doctor who would never hesitate to help those in need. And once he’d done his job, he would retire to his shack on the outskirts of the village in peace. He knew what he would be stepping back into when he saw Natasha waiting for him that day she appeared, but thought that maybe all the peace and routine of the past years in Calcutta would make the Other Guy easier to handle. But he had been wrong, so very wrong.

Thinking back over all the awful things he had done over the past years… the things the Hulk had done… He couldn’t stop the flood of guilt that threatened to consume him, and if he didn’t get out of here soon, there would be another incident to add to the list of things he should feel guilty about. True, some of the lives he’d taken as the Hulk were necessary, such as HYDRA agents firing at his teammates… But some had been accidental. Innocents caught in the ‘green line of fire’ as he called it. People hurt by falling debris when the Hulk smashed into something, and even almost the content assassin he currently held in his arms when he’d unexpectedly changed on the Helicarrier. It was the accidental casualties that bothered him the most.

His breathing became slightly erratic as he unwillingly remembered the terrified look in her eyes as he’d transformed, and he shut his eyes against the wave of frustration he felt. 

“Not here, not now… Not with her. Not with Natasha.”

He tightened his arms around her, and felt himself relax enough from the mentioning of her name alone and the feel of her against him to speak barely above a whisper.

“Natasha…Potential Code Green...”

Natasha's eyes opened, her ear pressed against his shoulder. The warning in his tone worried her. He was really struggling this time. Even though it was on the other side of his chest, she could feel the thump of his pounding heart as he struggled to keep his cover. She moved her head away, glancing around them to notice the stares that were making him uncomfortable. She turned her eyes to his closed ones, saw the tense fear etched over his face. When he opened them, she was surprised to notice the absence of green. This wasn't the usual pre-Hulk fear, this was just regular Bruce fear that was being mistaken for pre-Hulk fear. 

“Eyes on me, Banner. I'm right here. On me.” she said softly, hoping no one would hear his real name.

His eyes still flickered to the people around them as he tried to do as she said, and she felt her heart melt at the frightened child-like look in his eyes.. She brought a hand to his cheek, smiling when he flinched and his gaze abruptly met hers, his face turning several shades of pink before settling on the crimson she was used to. She saw the tension melt out of his features, the vein in his neck that had been making an appearance slowly returning to below his skin.

“There we go, right here… It’s me, big guy.” she smiled, talking slowly as if she were talking to the Other Guy. “We’re okay, right?”

She felt his taut shoulder muscles relax beneath her other hand as he gave an almost imperceptible nod. A slight shiver ran down his spine when her thumb gently stroked the stubble on his cheek. When he finally let out a soft sigh, she moved her hand from his cheek to behind his neck, where she toyed with the collar of his shirt. She wished she could rip that stupid wig off of his head so she could run her hands through those soft salt-and-pepper curls she liked so much.

“Thanks,” he smiled, before his smile fell. “I’m sorry about that. I thought I had it under control but…”

“Don’t be. I told you, it’s why I’m here. Honestly, you’re doing much better than I thought you would. I’m surprised that’s the only real close call we’ve had tonight.”

“Yeah, well,” he blushed, reaching back to nervously rub his neck before realizing her hand was still there. He jerked his hand away slightly, blushing even harder. “Maybe the Other Guy really likes listening to you.”

Natasha gave him another smile before returning her head to his shoulder, gingerly sliding one finger up underneath the rough wig and bald cap at the back of his neck, her fingertips lightly touching his curls. 

“Maybe. Or maybe you both do. I can be very persuasive.”

She was thankful that the wig was thick enough to hide her fingers so it looked like she was simply toying with his fake blond hair. They had enough suspicious stares as it was, the last thing they needed was for someone to think she was gently scalping him or something. She smirked at the slight hum she heard slip from him as he took a breath and spoke again.

“I've noticed.” he murmured, sounding a little dazed due to what she was doing. “Is it… weird that I sort of wish we weren't undercover right now?”

“I was thinking the same thing, actually.” she smirked.

Bruce shuddered, her cold fingers sending yet another chill down his spine. For someone who was supposedly trying not to draw attention, she sure was trying to evoke some kind of interesting reaction out of him. Even the Other Guy seemed to be fidgeting at the back of Bruce's mind. Simply posing as a couple was one thing, acting on it was another.

“...how much longer do we have to stick around?” Bruce nearly coughed out.

“Not much longer. Dr. Rogers said something about the senator over there,” Natasha’s voice turned serious again as she pulled her head from his shoulder and nodded towards a tall man standing in a corner off to their left, surrounded by a group of mostly women who were fake laughing so much that it was obvious they only wanted what the senator could offer. “I already got a sample from him, it's just taking longer to process.”

“Does that mean he might be our guy?” Bruce asked softly, not even acknowledging the cover name they had for Steve.

“Honestly, I hope not. But yes.”

“Why not?”

Natasha sighed, returning her gaze to his.

“If an elected official is involved in this, it makes our job that much harder.”

“Hm. As if our job tonight isn't hard enough already.”

Natasha smirked, sticking out her bottom lip in a mock pout, her hands returning to his shoulders.

“Aw, has it really been that bad? Is my company that insufferable?”

Bruce chuckled, his features softening slightly as he spoke.

“Tony's company is insufferable. Yours is… well, I'm not sure there's a good enough word for what your company is.”

Natasha gave him a soft smile, those hazel contacts not doing justice to whatever enticing emotion she had hidden in her eyes. He felt his heart leap in his chest, nearly desperate for her to take off that wig and get rid of those contacts so he could take in the Natasha he knew so well. All he could do was stare at her, his eyes suddenly moving from her eyes to her lips, where her tongue darted out briefly to moisten them before she spoke.

“Bruce…?”

Her voice was soft, partially to keep anyone from hearing his name, and partially because the way he was looking at her had made it a little hard for her to breathe normally. He stared at her like she was something amazing that he wanted. Desperately. His eyes met hers, and all she could do was bite her lip at the intensity she saw there. It was strange, nothing like the intense thousand mile stare he got right before an unexpected Code Green. This look he had right now? It looked… intoxicated.

“Natasha... I…”

“Dr. Bantu!”

The pair jumped apart, both of them silently cursing whoever it was that had interrupted them. Needless to say they were more than surprised to see Tony barreling towards them, a brunette wig on his head, fake mustache glued to his lip, and thick-rimmed glasses on his face. If they had never seen this disguise before, neither of them would’ve known it was him.

“Good to see ya, Doc!” he said a little too enthusiastically, shaking Bruce's hand. He tugged Bruce towards him suddenly as he muttered into his ear.

“The senator is our guy.” he turned to Natasha, keeping his voice low. “Cap sent me in for evac. Said he can't reach you any other way.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, no comms.” she said in a lowered tone, before crossing her arms. “I highly doubt Dr. Rogers sent you in from Tahiti for evac.”

“Is that what we're calling him? Huh, did he pick that out? Typical that he'd give himself a PhD.” Tony huffed. “And yeah maybe he didn't send me in. Maybe I just so happened to be back early from Tahiti because Pepper was called back for some urgent Industries business. Maybe I was so bored out of my mind that I decided to crash the party. Maybe Dr. Rogers accidentally let it slip that he sent you and Dr. Bantu here on a special OP that I could have easily been a part of. Maybe I thought I’d check in on my favorite two people and see what they got themselves into.”

“That's a lot of maybes, Mr…”

Tony grinned, handing Natasha a hastily put together business card. Bruce leaned over to read what it said.

“Mr. Stork?” he raised an eyebrow at Tony who was practically glowing with pride. “CEO of Stork & Co.? Really?”

“What do you specialize in, baby production?” Natasha snorted, handing the card back to Tony. 

“Let's not go into my process, at least not in mixed company, Ms. Regis. It's not in good taste. Although, it looked like you two might've been looking into doing some research on the subject later.” Tony narrowed his eyes.”That wasn't intel gathering I saw when I walked up.”

Bruce felt his face flush and cleared his throat to change the subject, but Natasha beat him to it.

“What does Dr. Rogers want us to do about the senator?”

“Smooth transition there.” Tony rolled his eyes. “We’re not done with this conversation. But anyway, Dr. Rogers wants us out, we’ll make plans on how to extract the senator for questioning later. Wouldn't look good trying to ‘power up’ and drag him out of here right now. Let him enjoy his little party. JARVIS has the car right out front.”

XXXXXX

Ironically, Bruce couldn't say he wasn't feeling a little reluctant to be leaving as he followed Natasha and Tony through the crowd. Tony just had to come at just the wrong moment, hadn’t he? The moment when he finally felt enough courage to tell Natasha just how important she was to him and how much he appreciated her volunteering to help reign in the Hulk with the Lullaby… and maybe hint at the idea that maybe they could spend more time together than they already had been. You know, in case they needed to go undercover like this again.

The ride back to the Tower in the back of the limo was silent on Bruce’s part. He didn’t have much to add to Tony and Natasha’s conversation, so he settled for watching Tony crack open a bottle of water across from them and kick his feet up across the leather seats as they talked. He wanted to look at Natasha, who was seated beside him, but couldn’t bring himself to do more than glance at her. Her legs were crossed, her hands busy as she toyed with her bracelet, checking the gauges on each bead to make sure she had a decent amount of samples from each of the senator’s known associates. Bruce had to admit, she was thorough.

It was only when Tony got a call from Pepper that Natasha felt she could talk to Bruce. She pulled off the itchy wig and removed the hazel contacts, sighing in relief. Bruce blinked and did the same with his own disguise, letting out a relieved sigh as well.

“You did really good in there,” she smiled, nudging him with her elbow. “Not bad for your first undercover op.”

“Heh, thanks.” he shrugged. “But I’m not sure I’ll be volunteering for many more ops like that.”

“I’d be surprised if you did.” she smiled, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. “But I have to admit, I like you much better as Dr. Banner. Blonde doesn't suit you.”

“Yeah… I'm not sure I'll be having a midlife crisis and dying my hair anytime soon.” he blushed, smiling as she returned her hand to her lap.

“Anyway, you and Tony can analyze the data I gathered tonight, and we’ll have the senator booked in no time. I'm sure Steve is dying to know what the scientific mumbo-jumbo we sent him means.”

“Can't wait to tell him.” 

XXXXXX

Natasha entered the lab, chuckling to herself as she watched Bruce and Tony maneuver around. They passed each other with ease as they tapped the holographic displays around them, neither of their eyes straying from their work as they went. 

“Minimize the DNA matrix, pull out the unnecessary complexes.” 

“I just did that, it negates the calculations you were just running. I'm gonna amp up the amount it counts per second and see if that works.”

“Don't forget to account for multiples. We don't want those.” 

“Right, right.”

Natasha bit her lip, finding the way Bruce worked just the tiniest bit alluring. This truly was his element, this was where he did his best work.

She crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe as she waited for them to notice her. She didn't have to wait long.

“JARVIS, buddy, I thought I told you no girls allowed in the lab.” Tony quipped, eyes never moving from his work. “Distracts certain lab partners.”

“Agent Romanoff has unlimited security clearance, sir.” 

“It was a joke, JARVIS. I have got to update your database.” he waved a hand over his shoulder in Natasha's general direction. “Come in, Romanoff, see what the science bros have dug up.”

Bruce had been so caught up in his calculations, that he only realized that Natasha was there when he felt her breath on the back of his neck as she peered over his hunched shoulders.

“Working hard?”

“Ah...” his head whipped to face her, his cheeks bright red. “Y-Yeah um…”

He straightened, taking a deep breath to calm his sudden erratic heartbeat. Was it possible to have a panic attack from liking someone too much?

“Brucey Boy here found some pretty significant connections to our dear senator.” Tony grinned, clapping both of Bruce's shoulders and shaking him a little. “Looks like we might find the source of this super serum sooner than we thought.”

“Super serum?” Natasha blinked, raising an eyebrow. “Super as in…”

“Yeah, that's the thing…”

“Captain America super.” Bruce said, clearing his throat as he shook Tony's hands from his shoulders. 

Natasha watched his face for a moment, before looking over at Tony who had suddenly gotten interested in the window behind him.

“So they're trying to… replicate Cap?”

“Looks like it.” Tony shrugged, tossing a pen up in the air before swiping his hand over a hologram to bring up another screen. “Right here, it shows an almost identical structure to whatever they shot Cap with to make him Uncle Sam's golden child.”

“We're not sure what HYDRA would do with another super soldier but… it can't be good.” Bruce sighed, finally able to organize a decent thought. “They might try and create an entire army of them, take over the world with them… Or just enough to take Captain America out.”

“Yeah, we know HYDRA wanted Cap dead. That's why they sent Bucky after him.” Natasha shrugged. “So you really think this stuff might work?”

“In theory? Yes.”

“Have you… told Steve yet?” Natasha raised an eyebrow, especially when Bruce turned away and Tony took a really long sip of his coffee. “...I'll take that as a no.”

“We don't want him to feel guilty about it. He might say this is all because of him.”

“Probably because, in a sense, it is.” Tony stated nonchalantly. “I know it sounds mean, but think about it.”

Neither Bruce nor Natasha wanted to. So of course Tony would point it all out.

“If young, scrawny, weakling Steve hadn't gone along with the super soldier experiment, the serum might not even be a thing.”

“They could have found other volunteers.”

“You don’t remember?” Tony waved a hand and brought up articles from the year Captain America was introduced to the world. “There were other volunteers. No one survived the process but him. Everyone else died either that same day or a few days later.”

“Something about his DNA was… different.” Bruce mumbled, skimming the articles he saw. “Made him stand out from the rest of the volunteers.”

“So what makes you think this serum will work on more than one person? You said it's identical.”

“Almost identical. There are… slight differences.” Bruce tugged at his collar before turning away.

“I wouldn't call DNA adaptivity slight, Bruce.” Tony scoffed.

“DNA adaptivity? You mean this stuff can change itself to fit anyone?” Natasha’s arms dropped to her side, the folder of paperwork in her hand threatening to spill its contents all over the floor.

“Again, in theory, yes.”

“So you're telling me that we could end up with an entire army of-”

The door to the lab swished open, and all three of them spun to face the red, white, and blue clad figure staring them down.

“Of me?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is annoyed, Tony knows Bruce has the hots for Nat, and our poor damaged babies have a necessary talk.

The atmosphere in the lab felt thick as cement as Steve leaned his shield against the wall near the door. Bruce swallowed, muttering a soft ‘oh…’ as he turned towards the display behind him to avoid staring at the irritable super soldier at the door. Tony coughed, running a hand through his hair as he blew out a long breath, turning away to ball up some random sheet of paper and toss it in the trash halfway across the lab. Natasha raised an eyebrow at him, watching the paper bounce off of the edge of the can and drop to the floor. 

They were silent for a while, the only sounds being the gentle rustling of Bruce trying to find some kind of paperwork that would distract him and the sound of Tony’s uncomfortable sniffling. Natasha just stared at Steve, who stared back as if daring her to try and refute what he just heard. Only Tony seemed to be capable of speaking after a few tense moments.

“Nice of you to drop by, Cap. Most people would knock, or call or…” he shrugged, waving a hand over one of the many holographic screens to minimize the one showing all the articles. “Maybe those manners are too modern for you.”

“Your walls aren’t as thick as you thought they were, Stark. And I'm not up for your games.” Steve said, getting right to the point as he stepped into the lab, decked out in his full Captain America gear.

“Aw, and to think I was just about to whip out Yahtzee.” Tony frowned, his eyes twinkling with bitter laughter as he spun on his heel to try tossing another wadded up paper into the trash.

“Stark.” Steve said stiffly as Tony missed the can again. “Is HYDRA trying to recreate me?”

“Well, yes...but before we get to that, I also have a question.” Tony raised an eyebrow as he turned back around, crossing his arms. “Where have you been, young man? Was Cap making a public appearance at some kid's late-night birthday party?”

Steve narrowed his eyes, staring Tony down before he spoke, removing his helmet and tossing it next to his shield. A soft resounding clang floated through the lab as his helmet thunked against it. Steve's mind was absolutely reeling at the idea of an army of super soldiers, but knew he wouldn’t get straight answers from Tony just yet because...well, he was Tony.

“I had business to take care of.”

“What a wonderfully vague response.” Tony smirked. “That explains why you didn’t get any of the data Romanoff sent in.”

A moment passed, Tony giving Steve a questioning look, who simply glared back, waiting.

“Tell Rogers what he needs to know, Banner.” Natasha almost demanded, her eyes not leaving Steve's face. Her sudden tight, professional tone was simply a mask, hiding the apprehensive tension she felt coursing through her veins.

Bruce jumped a bit at the sound of her voice breaking the silence, clearing his throat before he adjusted his glasses and gestured for Steve to join him in front of one of the screens. Of course it had to be him to break the news. It was always him.

“I would hope I need to know everything since it’s about me.” Steve muttered, passing Natasha to join Bruce.

Natasha watched Bruce gently explain the situation to him, watching Steve’s brows furrow in irritation and concern. She had always been good at reading people. It was a requirement for being a decent assassin… but Steve was never the most open man in the world. She supposed losing as much as he had would have had some kind of emotional effect on him. And yet.... ever since she’d worked side by side with him all those years ago, and fought at his side as part of the Avengers, she’d gotten pretty good at reading him, even with his usually closed-off nature.

Saying that he was ‘upset’ by what HYDRA wanted to do was probably the understatement of the year. Steve was livid. 

Bruce had been right, he was taking it all very personally, as if he had simply handed the super serum over to HYDRA with a ‘welcome to the family’ card attached. Which was, of course, absolutely incorrect. But if the tight set of his jaw as he silently scooped up his shield and helmet before exiting the lab was any indication, no amount of talking would change his mind. So they let him leave, and after a few minutes of the three of them staring at each other, Bruce and Tony went back to their work trying to come up with a way to possibly negate the effects of the serum for when they finally got ahold of it. Natasha watched them for a moment, then turned and went to the elevator to find a place to think, so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the look Bruce had on his face as he watched her leave.

He stood frozen for a few moments, absentmindedly twirling a pen in his hand as he chewed his lip. He glanced over at Tony, who seemed to be intensely focused on the work in front of him. Bruce let out a soft sigh, turning to his own desk and rifling through some of his notes, his mind everywhere but on the semi-organized jumble of paper in front of him.

“You know you can follow her, Bruce.” Tony threw over his shoulder unexpectedly, startling his lab partner so much that he almost dropped the folder in his hands. “I know you want to.”

Tony turned around, watching Bruce stuff his notes into a different folder, smiling sheepishly.

“No...no… she probably wants some time alone. To think. And,” he gestured towards the screens around them. “we have work to do.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. He knew his best friend, saw all the little tells that let him know that Dr. Bruce Banner would be of no use to him if he didn't make sure Agent Natasha Romanoff was alright. He was just so easy to read. Even if they hadn't spent years working together as part of the Avengers, anyone could've seen the nervous hand wringing, the distant longing in his eyes, the nervous lip chewing… it was obvious where he wanted to be right now, and who he wanted to be with… and it for sure wasn't in the lab with Tony.

“Romanoff will have my hide if we screw up this antiserum because you were too distracted to think straight.” he said, rolling his eyes. “JARVIS and I can handle running the tests, you've got a distraught lady friend to console.”

He held up a hand as Bruce tried to negate what he was saying.

“I'm egotistical, not stupid. I don't know what's going on between you and Romanoff, and frankly I don't really care. As long as I don't have to worry about finding you two tangled up in a broom closet during a mission…”

Bruce's cheeks turned a fiery crimson as Tony grinned, and he laughed uneasily as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Ah… yeah, it… it's nothing like that. She likes to flirt.” he shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. “She's just helping me with the Other Guy. You know, with the Lullaby...”

“Romanoff is gonna need a lullaby if you aren't able to help me with this antiserum.” Tony smirked, a chuckle in his voice.

He watched Bruce gently tap the metal desk behind him with his knuckles as he walked near it, before seemingly coming to a decision and turning to tap the save icon on the screen hovering over the desk.

“Alright, fine.” he took a deep breath, clearing his throat as he turned back to face Tony. “I will go check on Nat… and Steve.”

Tony shrugged, the smirk on his face growing as he turned back to his own work and waved over his shoulder.

“Don’t be out too late.” he grinned. “Have her home before midnight.”

“Yeah, whatever, Tony.” Bruce chuckled, grabbing his keycard and turning to exit the lab. “Won't have to worry about that.”

“JARVIS, what're we gonna do with those two?” Tony sighed, shaking his head when he heard the door slide closed behind Bruce.

“I'm not sure I understand, sir.” JARVIS replied. “Are we referring to Agent Romanoff and Dr. Banner becoming more well acquainted?”

“Somehow putting it that way makes it so much worse.” he muttered, cracking his knuckles decisively. “Anyway, enough of the ‘trashy reality show’ talk. We've got twice as many simulations to run to make up for the lack of Banner.”

He brought up a long list of simulations and formulations, letting out a slight grunt.

“Sorry, Pepper, looks like I won't be getting a whole lot of sleep.” He smiled to himself, his voice softening at the mentioning of her name. 

“Would you like me to phone Ms. Potts, sir?”

“No, that's alright, J.” He shook himself, rolling his shoulders and cracking his knuckles before tapping a pair of codes on the list. “Let's go ahead and run these two.”

“Yes, sir.”

XXXXXX

Natasha heard him before she saw him. The slight shuffle in his walk was so… so Bruce… that she wouldn't ever think it was anyone else. She smiled. He could be confident when he wanted to, and when he was it was a bit harder to distinguish his walk from someone like Tony or even Thor at times. But tonight, he was the usual Bruce Banner that she had grown to like so much.

“You gonna join me or just stand there?”

She heard Bruce chuckle uneasily, and felt him close the distance a little bit as he came to stand near where she sat on the edge of the balcony near the now-infamous Avengers Tower “A”, her legs dangling over the dangerous drop.

“What, you afraid of heights?” she asked, glancing up at him, noticing the way he peered over the edge.

“I'm not exactly a fan of them…” he shrugged, before unexpectedly taking a seat beside her, putting almost a foot of space between them. “But I wouldn't say I'm afraid.”

Natasha regarded him for a minute, then leaned her head back towards the dark sky and closed her eyes. Bruce watched her out of the corner of his eye, chewing his lip as he tried to think of something to say to her. He couldn't bring himself to ask about how she was doing, so he settled for the next best thing.

“Do you think Cap’ll be alright?” he said, finally turning to look at her directly only to find her still facing the sky, staring at the stars. The light glowing from the street below seemed to be caught in the red strands of her hair, and he forced himself to look away as he felt the urge to run his fingers through them.

“Steve's strong,” she said quietly, a sigh escaping her lips. “He's been through a lot and hasn't let it get him down so far, so you know, what's one more mission to save the world?”

Bruce heard the smile in her voice and couldn't help but smile as well, stretching his arms above his head.

“I'm sure he'll feel a lot better if we stop this whole thing in its tracks… you know, before it's actually a matter of saving the world.”

“Speaking of which,” she moved her head forward to a more comfortable position, raising an eyebrow at him. “Aren't you and Tony supposed to be working on an antiserum right now?”

Bruce shrugged, averting his gaze from hers and instead fixating it on what looked like a helicopter landing halfway across town.

“Tony has JARVIS running some tests. He doesn't necessarily need me for that.” he rubbed the back of his neck, a dull blush blossoming on his cheeks. “I figured my time would be better spent um… checking on you. And Steve.”

“Aren't you just the gentleman of the year?” Her teasing tone didn't match the gentle smile she gave him, a chuckle escaping when he hastily added that last part about Steve. 

“Maybe. Although I think Steve has me beat in that competition.” He laughed uneasily, shrugging as he continued to stare out at the scene in front of them. 

He really was too adorable. 

She felt herself tense as the realization sunk in that she saw him as adorable. Natasha Romanoff never thought anyone (other than Clint's secret kids) was adorable. It also bothered her to realize that Bruce's presence alone had caused this calming wave to wash over her, gently nudging the dark questions about the future to the back of her mind where they couldn't hurt her.

In the few minutes before Bruce had shown up, she had been sitting there, staring down at the cars and lights and listening to the various honks from a traffic jam… and had found herself dwelling on the idea that if they couldn't stop this new HYDRA, even the chaos of the city she called home would seem peaceful compared to what was coming.

But now that he was here, she could only see hundreds of people going about their night without a care in the world, and she found herself smiling at the fact that she had something to do with that.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” she heard her voice before even realizing it was her who was speaking. “Hard to believe this city’s seen as much destruction and insanity as it has.”

Bruce shifted at her side, pulling a pen out of his pocket and playing with it gently as he watched a family of four wander into an all-night pizza parlor.

“Yeah, New York has a way of moving on in spite of things…”

They were silent for a while, before Natasha let out a long sigh and ran a hand through her fiery hair before turning to face him again.

“Can I ask you something, Bruce? Something really personal?”

Bruce blinked, his heart beginning to pound in his chest as he swallowed thickly and turned his head to face her as well.

“Uh… yeah, sure.”

Natasha bit her lip, knowing that the upcoming question would either infuriate him, make him unbearably uncomfortable… or quite possibly open the metaphorical door to his core that he purposely kept locked for his own safety. But she just had to know. Maybe the timing was strange but… with the new threat they were facing, who knew when they would have another moment alone like this? And this was something she had been wondering about ever since meeting him in Calcutta all those years ago.

“What's it like?” she asked softly, scooting away from the edge and crossing her legs before scooting as close to him as she could without touching him. “...what does a Code Green feel like?”

Bruce tensed, his most basic instincts telling him to run away from this conversation as fast as he could… to get away from the rush of pain and conflict that just thinking about his alter ego brought on…

“Bruce?” she asked quietly, watching his frame tense significantly.

Bruce forced himself to relax, realizing that it wasn't just anybody asking him about this. This was Natasha. He knew her. He knew her motives...she just wanted to help. They were teammates, friends. He liked her. He liked her a lot. And so did the Other Guy. 

Maybe that was why he suddenly found himself pouring every detail out to her, unable to stop the flood of emotion as he vividly described the experience from beginning to end.

“It feels like my own personal Hell.”

He told her about suddenly feeling sick to his stomach as he fought the Hulk, his mind flooded with pain as his conscious mind was forcefully thrown into a dark hole. He described the ripping and tearing of muscles he felt as they were stretched to outlandish proportions, the ache that resounded through him making him feel a strange sort of weakness even after he finished transforming. He described the feeling of complete and utter helplessness, the feeling of wanting to shut his eyes and block out the terrified screams of those who saw him… but being unable to do more than scream, knowing he wouldn't be heard. He told her about struggling to find something to trigger a fond memory, something that would force him to change back so he wouldn't hurt anyone else, and told her of how frustrating it was when nothing would work and he would simply be screaming in pain into the void.

“I guess it would hurt less if I just willingly let the Other Guy take over and do what he wanted… But then, I wonder would he ever let me come back?” he chuckled almost mournfully. “And then sometimes I wonder… why do I want to come back? What am I trying to regain? Why… Why not stay the Hulk and just let him do whatever he wants? Eventually the world would forget about Bruce Banner… my name wouldn't be tied to the damage anymore.”

His voice sounded hollow, something that didn't sit right with Natasha. She felt her chest ache as he spoke, and her voice caught in her throat as she struggled to think of something to say to remind him of just how valuable his life was. How much he mattered to not only the world, but to his friends.

To Tony, who counted on him as a ‘science bro’ and best friend, keeping his ‘head in the game’ when he needed it.

To Thor, who had asked Bruce many times about the science behind his hammer and other Asgardian tech, to try and better understand it.

To Clint, who apparently trusted him to keep an eye on Natasha in a battle even though she could very easily take care of herself. 

To Steve, who relied on Bruce’s intelligence and ability to not act like an egotistical jerkwad to keep the team up to date on various chemical threats, such as the one they were facing now, and what they were comprised of. 

To her… who counted on him to watch her back, be there to listen to her both while Clint was away and when he wasn't, to be the one who understood her better than anyone… He was the only member of the Avengers who truly understood what it meant to feel as if they weren't in control for years, to feel as if they had been manipulated and shaped by someone other than themselves, unable to do more than grunt and comply...

“Bruce Banner feels everything the Hulk does.” he stated suddenly and quietly, interrupting her thoughts. His eyes were locked on the ground far below them. “The bullets and shells don't kill us… But they hurt. And I feel that pain, deep down in the darkest depths of my mind… I feel it. And... before you, and the Lullaby…”

Natasha watched his face, momentarily startled when his eyes suddenly met hers. She saw his hand twitch out of the corner of her eye as he stared at her, and waited silently for whatever he was about to do. It felt like hours had passed before either of them moved, and she couldn't say she wasn't just a bit disappointed when he simply pressed his palms against the concrete they sat on and averted his gaze again.

“Before… Before the Lullaby, I had no escape.” he swallowed. “I just screamed and screamed, pleading and begging to whatever entity that would listen… begging to go back to being myself. Because I know this was all my fault. I'm the reason I'm a monster.”

Natasha opened her mouth to dispute that, but he sighed and put up a hand to stop her.

“It is my fault. The Hulk… I created him. It was an accident... but I did.” he ran a hand through his hair, struggling to keep his thoughts straight. He looked at her, noticing the confusion behind her eyes. “They… they never told you how I… how the Hulk…?”

“I read...some of your file before coming for you in Calcutta, but...much of it was redacted.” she shrugged gently. “I figured it was Fury's doing.”

“Only because I requested him to do it. It was the only way I would agree to help with the Tessaract.” he shrugged, tossing the pen back and forth in his hands before glancing at her. “I didn't want everyone knowing what I did… what I was trying to do. They might feel betrayed if they all knew. Especially Steve.”

Natasha stared at him, leaning in closer, tempted to touch his arm but deciding against it. She hated being out of the loop, especially when it came to something she thought she should know. They were part of a team, she should know everything about each one of them… it really frustrated her to realize that maybe she wasn't as enlightened as she thought she was.

“Steve?” she blinked, her mind reeling. “What about Steve were you…?”

Bruce's eyes darkened, his gaze dropping to the ground below. When he spoke, his voice was slightly deeper, laced with the pain of a man who had lost everything, including himself.

“I was trying to recreate Cap's serum, too.” he choked out, a dark chuckle escaping. “But I guess I got what I deserved. The gamma radiation I was using to try and create the serum… backfired on me. And I became the Hulk.”

Natasha felt her stomach lurch, listening to the sadness and pain in his voice. She knew transforming into the Hulk couldn't have been a fun experience, the tortured screams Bruce often made while it was happening had made that very clear. But she could've never imagined the helplessness, especially now that she knew that every transformation was accompanied by the crushing guilt he had just talked about…

This man was enduring a pain that no one should have to experience. It was a constant battle, a silent reminder that he had made a mistake that was ruining his value of life. To him, there was no bright side, no silver lining… and no escape. She realized it now, why he was always found helping others whenever he dropped off the map for years at a time. He was attempting to spend the rest of his life making up for the numerous incidents caused by his alter ego. For every life the Hulk took, Banner would save two. 

He was trying to wipe the red out of his ledger, as well.

“You know,” she started softly, unsure of where she was going but trudging on anyway. “Whenever I've seen you change… I’ve never been really scared...of him...or of you.” 

She chewed her lip for a moment, trying to organize her thoughts, watching him glance at her, his eyes laced with some emotion that she couldn't really decipher. He looked.. relieved? Confused? Hurt? Excited? It seemed to be all of them at once.

“Like I haven't heard that one before.” Bruce said softly, his heart aching. As badly as he wished he could believe that someone was not afraid of his alter ego, it was just too difficult to come to terms with the idea of someone being that brave...or crazy. 

“Years of having fear beaten out of you has its perks, you know?” she smiled ruefully.

As he stared at her, he had to remind himself, again, that this was Natasha. Natasha who had been raised by maniacs to be a killing machine. Natasha, who had left that life behind to try and change her reputation. Natasha, who had been forced to flee for her life from a man she'd been tasked with recruiting in the first place, and was currently sitting beside that same man. Natasha, who had almost been killed by the Hulk and still stuck around to help reign him in. Natasha… who had stuck by his side as they practiced the Lullaby, listened to him talk out his frustrations when the Lullaby didn't work as planned, stayed up with him on the nights where the nightmares from the New York battle were too much to handle… He remembered many nights where they'd sit on the roof, cradling cups of hot cocoa and venting to each other.

“I've thought about running away, again. Dropping off the map. Just to get away from it all. The lull in avenging is...good... but…”

“You'd better not. Not unless you plan on dragging me with you. You're not leaving me here with Stark’s annoying whining and Steve's hoards of fangirls.”

“Hoards? I mean, I know the guy is good looking but…”

“Hoards. Stark had to write new security coding for JARVIS just to keep them out.”

“Um… wow.”

“Exactly. So if you plan on ditching the Tower, I'm coming with.”

“May not be the smartest idea you've had, Natasha. I can be lousy company.”

“I wouldn't know.”

But even so, he had still hurt her. He had put her in harm's way, and even though it had been unintentional and a result of Loki's manipulation… and even though she told him many times that she never held what the Hulk did against him...the guilt always returned in full force whenever he tried to believe what she said.

But the way she was looking at him…

“You know what helps me not be scared of the Hulk? His eyes. Your eyes.” she corrected. “I saw you in them on the Helicarrier. I saw what was happening to you. To Bruce Banner.”

Bruce simply stared at her, his eyes wide. He remembered flashes of her frightened face as he transformed. Remembered yelling at her as she swore on her life to get him out of the situation. He remembered looking at her helplessly as the Hulk finally won, watching her lips desperately form his name before he tore away and was lost to the void in his mind. She was the first person he thought of when he woke up butt-naked in the rubble of the building he'd crash-landed into. He wondered if the Other Guy had killed her.

“I see it every time now, Bruce. I don't see a monster behind those startlingly haunted eyes…” she smiled softly. “I see you. And... because I see you in there… I'm not scared.”

Bruce's head felt light as he allowed her words to sink in. He wanted to take solace in what she said, he wanted to so badly...but he couldn't. Not yet. Not without telling her the truth. 

She deserved the truth.

“Maybe it's because you don't realize that Bruce Banner is a monster all by himself.” he muttered, looking away. 

“Bruce…” Natasha sighed. “You can't-”

“There was something I didn't tell you, or Tony, or Steve... that I discovered in the lab.” he interrupted, his voice cracking at the end. He cleared his throat, nervously rubbing his wrist.

“Bruce?”

Bruce felt his heart pounding in his chest, his hands beginning to tremble as he gripped his wrist tightly. Somehow the worried tone in her voice made him feel even worse. Everything in his body was screaming for him to throw himself over the edge and hope the Other Guy wouldn't save them this time. He had to get away from all of this… but he couldn't. Natasha had reached out and placed a comforting hand against his arm, and it felt too warm against his skin; the sound of her expectant breathing too calming to him. He took a long, shaky deep breath, forcing himself to simply tell her the truth and hope she didn't throw him over the edge herself.

“The essential unfinished chemical base that HYDRA is building their serum off of? It… It's mine.” he swallowed, his voice raising slightly. He hurried through his words, not giving her a chance to respond. “I knew I should have destroyed my research, and I don't know how they got it, but…” 

He sighed, deciding not to finish that thought. He turned to her, his eyes wide and his tone tense.

“That's why we have to stop HYDRA before they even start testing, or we won't have to worry about an army of Captain Americas.”

The realization hit Natasha like a ton of bricks, and she felt as if the air around them had suddenly gotten thinner as she tried to come to terms with what he was saying.

“It'll be an army of Hulks.” Tony said suddenly from the doorway behind them.

Natasha moved her hand from Bruce's arm abruptly, sighing softly when she realized it was just Tony. Bruce turned around, looking startled as well. Tony smirked, pulling out his tablet and walking towards them.

“Sorry to interrupt, again. I know you were having a moment.” he smirked.

“What do you want, Tony?” Natasha asked, annoyed.

“JARVIS told me you guys were out here. Thought I'd join you. Anyway, I found Banner's dirty little secret.” he shrugged, not noticing Banner's tense reaction as he pulled up the structure of Bruce's serum and waved over it so a holographic projection of it came up. “It's actually pretty impressive. The serum that created the big guy. Impressive. in a… terrifying sort of way.”

He joined them at the edge of the balcony, passing the tablet to Natasha next to him as he dangled his legs over the edge. She took it, her eyebrow raised as Bruce leaned over slightly toward her to look at the holographic display.

“It's missing a second base chemical. Something to bind it all together so it doesn't explode like your original one did.” Tony stated, pointing towards an empty spot in the serum's coding.

“Yeah, well, I didn't exactly have state-of-the-art tech the first time.” Bruce said irritably. 

Tony ignored his irritated tone, swiping his hand to the right to open a large map.

“Now, since we've already figured out what it's missing, I'm assuming HYDRA is gonna figure it out too pretty soon. Best course of action? Get rid of the source. I had JARVIS scanning for traces of every chemical that makes up the serum, including the one they don't know about, and so far we've got five distinct hits.”

“So we wipe out the sources while triangulating where they are all being shipped to… and we can get rid of the serum?” Bruce asked, his eyes searching the map. “or at the very least make it much harder for them to make enough for an army.”

“Making the chance of an all out war much lower.” Natasha nodded in understanding.

“Yep, then all it takes is interrogating some baddies to find out who's got the nearly completed serum and how they got Banner's research, so we can wipe it out and be done with this. The only issue is…” he let out a short sigh before tapping a button on his wristband and spreading both of his hands in the air to zoom out on the map above their heads. 

“Each location is almost a million miles away from each other.” Natasha grunted, sighing as well.

“I...I guess we have some traveling to do.” Bruce said after a few moments of irritable silence. “I'll...go tell Steve.”

Tony and Natasha watched him get to his feet and hesitate as he stared over the city below. Natasha's muscles tensed, prepared to grab his wrist in case he tried to make an awful decision right then and there.

But he simply looked at her, turned, and walked back into the Tower. They watched the door for a moment longer, before Tony sighed and spoke.

“You're good for him, you know. He actually talks to you.” he shrugged. “Trusts you.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow at him, handing him back the tablet. 

“Has a funny way of showing it.” she chuckled uneasily. “but he trusts you too, Stark.”

“That may be, but you know how I am. Not good with feelings. You've seen me with Pepper.” he laughed, switching the tablet off. “Long story short, we don't talk like you two do.”

“How exactly do we talk that's any different than how you two talk?” Natasha asked, a bit confused but also very aware of what he meant.

Tony shrugged, getting to his feet and tucking the tablet under his arm. 

“We talk about science, the fate of the world, politics… ” he smirked. “You two talk about feelings, your pasts…”

He grinned at Natasha's slightly taken aback expression, her arms crossing over her chest once she stood up and faced him. He chuckled, waving a hand vaguely at the Tower.

“I've got cameras everywhere, Romanoff. Even at your little hideaway up on the roof.”

Natasha thought about replying with a snarky remark, but realized she wasn't in the mood to get in a ‘battle of wits’ with Tony Stark right now. So she settled for rolling her eyes and walking past him, headed back inside the Tower.

“Goodnight, Stark.”

“Night, Romanoff. Try not to get lost on your way to bed.” he laughed. “Remember that Banner's room is right next to mine, in case you decide to bunk in there.”

“Shut up, Tony.”

XXXXXX

“Captain Rogers, Dr. Banner is at the door.”

“Let him in, JARVIS.” 

Steve sat in his room on the bed, a standard guest bedroom that Tony set aside for him. The walls were painted the exact same as every other room, the only distinguishing feature being a few small Captain America and US Army posters that Steve had taped to the wall. He sighed as he stared at them, gently polishing his shield. Something that Tony had said before the Battle of New York kept repeating over and over in his head, no matter how much he didn't want it to.

“You're a lab experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle.”

It bothered Steve to realize just how true that was...especially now.

Bruce stepped in hesitantly, smiling a little when Steve looked at him.

“Hey, Dr. Banner.” he smiled weakly, returning his eyes to his shield in his lap. “Can I help you with something?”

“Hey, Cap… um, no… I was just wondering... how are you doing? With… with all of this?” Bruce asked uneasily, flashbacks from when Tony thought he was a psychiatrist flashing through his mind as he leaned against the doorframe.

Steve chuckled, setting his shield down gingerly on the floor next to his foot.

“I'm not sure. All I know is I'll feel a whole lot better once it's all over. Did Stark find anything useful?”

Banner chewed his lip, wondering if he should tell Steve that the serum was his creation...that it was what caused the Hulk… or if he should just wait. He decided on the latter, realizing that Steve had enough to think about as it was. The rest could wait until tomorrow after everyone got some sleep. At least then he would have some backup if Steve decided to try and decapitate him with his shield when he found out.

“Y-Yeah we… we have to sort of take some plane trips to track down the serum. Tony and Natasha… I mean, Agent Romanoff... they're gonna give us the rundown tomorrow.”

Steve smirked at the pink tinge on the Doctor's cheeks. He was old, not an idiot. Anyone could have seen the secret glances, heard the whispered comments, felt the tension… and known that Dr. Banner and Natasha Romanoff had a thing for each other. Even if both of them denied it vehemently. He didn't even know why they tried to hide it at this point.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Steve watched Bruce's gaze unfocus for a brief moment, and he sighed. He could read the apprehensiveness all over his face, could see the fear and worry in his eyes. What he didn't know, was that the worry was not about what he thought it was about.

“We'll find the serum, Doctor.” he said reassuringly. “This won't get out of hand. We won't let it.”

Bruce smiled weakly, standing up straight and nodding slowly. Steve noted that he didn't seem assured, only slightly less terrified. 

“Yeah… yeah, I know.” he shrugged. “Anyway… ‘Night, Cap.”

“Goodnight, Dr. Banner.” Steve chuckled, watching him leave the doorway and head to his own room.

XXXXXX

As he silently walked to his own bedroom, Bruce was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't even hear Natasha's footsteps coming around the corner. It was only when he almost knocked her to the ground that he realized what had happened. His arm went instinctively around her waist as they collided, pulling her tightly against him before she even got close to the ground. Her hands went to his shirt, fisting it tightly in an attempt to keep from falling as well. They were both still on their feet, their faces only inches apart. His breath came out in soft pants, his eyes frantically searching hers, the adrenaline that had flooded his brain making it hard for him to keep up.

“S-Sorry, Natasha… Are you okay?” he blushed heavily. “I wasn't paying attention.”

Natasha stared back, her face feeling hot, a strange wave of both embarrassment and excitement flowing through her, sprouting from where his arm was. It took her a moment to speak, the sudden fog in her mind created from staring into those warm brown eyes of his slowly dissipating.

“Y-Yeah, I'm good.” she finally managed, her mouth feeling dry. “Thanks for catching me.”

A moment passed, their breaths mixing in the small space between them. Natasha searched his eyes, suddenly wishing they were under different circumstances where they could simply stay this way for as long as they wanted. There was something protective and confident in the way he held her, and she was shocked to find she liked it. 

Eventually, Banner was able to regain his composure and let her go, rubbing the back of his neck. She let go of him as well, and he took note of the slight reluctance in her movements.

“Ah, sorry. Again.” he smiled sheepishly. “You sure you're okay?”

Natasha couldn't help but smile, running a hand through her hair before nodding.

“I'm fine, Bruce.”

The tenderness in her tone startled both of them, but they managed to keep their shock hidden behind awkward smiles.

“Ah… Good. Well, goodnight Natasha.” he smiled shyly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Goodnight, Bruce.” she smiled back, walking past him towards her bedroom.

Bruce watched her go for a moment, before shaking himself and hurrying to his own room for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team makes a visit to an old friend of Bruce's. Tony brings up a throwback that doesn't make Natasha too happy. Bruce makes a decision that shifts the dynamic between he and Natasha.

The rocks and twigs dug into the bottoms of his feet, but as usual, he barely felt it. He barreled through the forest at breakneck speed, blinded by rage and primitive fear. He glanced behind himself, huffing angrily at the muscular green hoard rushing at him. They roared loudly, the trees around them trembling before being knocked down and trampled underfoot. They looked just like him, except for their mangled faces, distorted bodies, bulging muscles that looked more like sores than anything…

His lungs burned, his muscles ached, and for the first time in his life… he was exhausted. He'd never had to run so hard before, because nothing had threatened him so fiercely before. He felt himself losing his grip on his strength, his eyes losing their green shade as they began fading away to a deep brown. He grunted, shaking his head and punching the ground to regain his anger. But even that didn't seem to work. The thunderous pounding of the creatures behind him sent a wave of sheer unbridled panic through him, and he searched around, trying to find a tree or cliff to climb to give himself an escape.

A groan sounded from the small creature in his arms and he looked down at her, his eyes running over her battered body. He stared at the sickening direction her leg was bent in and the three bullet holes in her shoulder, his primitive mind struggling to decide what to do to save her. Where was puny Banner? Why was he hiding?

Blood had soaked through her catsuit around the injured areas, and he felt a fresh wave of anger course through him as he saw the blood on his fingers.

He roared at the hoard behind him, who seemed terrifyingly close at this point, and turned, tucking the redhead tightly against him and rushing through the forest even faster than before towards a clearing ahead.

He never saw the flash of sickly green before it hit him, knocking him to the ground right before they reached the clearing. He growled as he lost his grip on her, her body hitting the ground several feet away from where his body slammed into a boulder. He forced himself to get up, lumbering towards her, ignoring the sharp pain in his back, a river of blood streaming down it from the large branch sticking out of him.

“You can't save her.”

Hulk stopped, his hand barely touching Natasha's limp body when the man behind him spoke. He turned around sharply, growling softly at the man with the HYDRA insignia on his chest, the green hoard of failed Hulks standing behind him. They huffed and grunted, their bodies heaving with effort.

“Come now, Dr. Banner. We both know she's a lost cause… it's too late for her.”

Hulk turned back to Natasha, his eyes running over her frame. She was barely breathing, her skin pale, her lips losing their color... But even he knew she wasn't dead yet.

“She won't make it… but you can do something about it. Help us prevent more senseless deaths. Protect the world from itself. Help us create more like you. Perfect specimens that will put HYDRA in control. We will rule the world...create peace. No more will die… except those who oppose us. Like your friend. She's dying unnecessarily… all because she tried to oppose us.”

Hulk closed his eyes, slamming his fists into his temples as he felt puny Banner coming to the surface, the fact that Natasha was dying becoming too much for both of them to handle.

“Join us, Dr. Banner. Lead our creatures… Or die by their hands.”

Hulk roared in anger, shifting towards Natasha as he felt himself losing his grip. 

“You can't run forever. You have 60 seconds, Dr. Banner. Change back and help us, or we will run you ragged and kill you when you collapse.”

Hulk stumbled, landing in a heap next to her, his large hands tugging desperately at his hair. He stared at her face, unable to focus on anything but her.

Suddenly, her eyes opened, dim and lacking any of the fire they usually held. Her fingers twitched, her voice coming out barely above a whisper.

“Run, Hulk. Go.”

Hulk whined, shaking his head no and grunting as he continued to fight Banner. He was her protector. He couldn't leave her here. He wouldn't. He huffed angrily at her, frustrated that she was giving up.

"It's alright, big guy." She said, her voice weak from the pain.

She raised a hand to his face, and he felt the inner conflict he had with Banner dissipate. He instinctively pressed his cheek against her hand, tears rolling down his face. In the back of his mind, Hulk wondered if he had ever cried before. It was a foreign sensation, yet very familiar at the same time. Maybe it was really Banner who was crying… or maybe it was both of them.

“Take care of Bruce for me, okay?" she said, smiling softly, traces of her old mischievous tone leaking through the raspy sound of her voice. 

Hulk watched in silence as her eyes unfocused, her head lolling to the side as the light faded from them and her labored breathing stopped. Her hand fell from his face, and his eyes widened as he realized she was gone. Her eyes were still open, staring blankly at the sky behind him. His breathing quickened, his muscles tensing as he shut his eyes tightly, puny Banner's sentimental memories of her mixing with his own.

He saw her smiling at him as they fought side-by-side. He saw her tossing food and a pair of pants at him after “lullaby practice”. He saw her boarding the Quinjet before a battle, telling him to “smash”, her eyes filled with the fire he liked so much. He saw her laughing among the stars as they talked on the roof of Avengers Tower, a line of hot cocoa on her upper lip. He saw her apprehensive gaze as she approached him on the battlefield after one of their battles with HYDRA, dozens of enemy agents dead around them, her arm outstretched.

“Sun’s gettin’ real low…”

Banner's memories, the memories he and Hulk shared… Each tore at their very core, and Hulk could almost hear Banner's grieving sobs in the deepest part of his subconscious. He would never see her smile again, never hear her say his name again, never fight by her side again... 

"Are you finally ready to accept your destiny? This is a good thing, Dr. Banner. Can't you see that? The world must be destroyed before it can progress." 

Hulk felt his blood boiling as it ran rampant through his veins, and he spun around to face the HYDRA agent and the failed Hulks, growling ferociously at them. 

It was their fault. It was all them. 

He wanted them dead. 

"So be it." The HYDRA agent sighed, closing his eyes as he transformed into yet another misshapen Hulk.

The desperate sound of Banner screaming her name into the void was drowned out by Hulk's deafening roar, as they launched themselves into a suicidal battle.

XXXXXX

“Natasha!”

Bruce woke up with a start, his shirt completely soaked with sweat. He looked down at himself, relieved to find that he was not the Hulk. He let out a long sigh, looking around to see that he was in his bedroom in Avengers Tower. He ran his trembling hands over his face, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. He pulled back the sheets, moving to sit at the edge of his bed, his body still a jittery mess. He covered his face with his hands, focusing on his breathing as he tried to relax.

“Hey, JARVIS?” he mumbled through his fingers.

“Yes, Dr. Banner?”

“Can you play Track 3 for me?”

“From the Nightmare Playlist, sir?”

“Yeah.”

Bruce swore he heard the AI hesitate with worry before speaking again.

“Of course, sir.”

Bruce let out a soft sigh as Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata began playing over the speakers, and as he sat up, the walls of his room were replaced by live footage of space. He ran a hand through his hair, smiling weakly.

“Thanks, JARVIS.” he paused, chewing his lip for a second before speaking again. “Oh and JARVIS?”

“Sir?”

“Can… Can you check on Agent Romanoff for me…?”

Bruce tugged at a strand of his hair, a bit embarrassed that he was nervous talking about her to an AI. Then again, this was Tony’s AI. 

But Bruce knew he had to make sure she was alright, just so he could eventually fall back to sleep. JARVIS was quiet for a moment, presumably gathering information.

“Agent Romanoff has been asleep for the past few hours. Her vitals are normal, and her REM cycle shows no signs of distress. Would you like to speak to her?”

Bruce thought for a moment, smiling as he thought about relaxing to the sound of her voice as they sat in his room and talked about nothing important. He felt his heartbeat quicken suddenly at the thought of her climbing into bed with him and falling asleep curled into his side, his fingers tangled in her fiery red hair as he fell asleep a few minutes after her.

“No, no, that's okay. Thanks.” he chuckled uneasily.

After pulling off his sweat soaked shirt, Bruce laid back on his bed, staring up at the live constellations JARVIS had displayed for him on the ceiling.

XXXXXX

“Dr. Banner seems to have regulated himself, sir. He asked about Agent Romanoff."

“Sounds normal to me," Tony laughed. "Thanks J. Keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Tony sighed, setting his pen down on his desk and leaning back in his chair, spinning in it to stare at the holograms on the far wall of his room. He knew about Bruce having these recurring nightmares after the Battle of New York, it was pretty obvious that something was off when he would sometimes come to the lab in the morning looking like he hadn't slept in days. So Tony created the Nightmare Protocol. He had JARVIS monitoring Bruce's sleep patterns, and had him ready to go whenever Bruce woke up in a cold sweat. Bruce had had no idea about the protocol at first, but after the first few nights of “Dr. Banner?” coming from the AI immediately after he woke from a nightmare, he caught on. He and Tony never talked about it, but Tony knew Bruce appreciated it.

Tony climbed out of his chair, glancing at the clock that read 2:46am. He hadn't slept at all yet, he'd simply moved from the lab to his bedroom to work. He flopped onto his bed, groaning. He had finally pinpointed the first two locations they had to search for the serum components, and figured that was enough work for one night.

“Sir, Ms. Potts would like me to remind you to get some sleep.”

Tony smiled, chuckling softly as he rolled onto his back, his hands behind his head.

“Sort of a late reminder there, buddy.” he yawned, closing his eyes. “Set an alarm for noon. The team is gonna need a little extra rest.”

XXXXXX

Natasha groaned as she slowly woke to the sound of her alarm, her eyelids still heavy with sleep. She rolled over and squinted at the clock which read 12:00. She had slept in till noon. Yawning, she smacked it and rolled onto her back, silently wondering when her bed had gotten so annoyingly comfortable. She sat up, a bit startled to find that she was surrounded by a large field, the scent of lilacs filling her nose. She laughed softly when she realized, stretching her arms above her head.

“Good morning, JARVIS. Good call with the lilacs.”

“Good morning, Agent Romanoff. I was informed you enjoy the scent of them. I assumed you would want to wake up to something pleasant.”

“Well you assumed correctly.” she smiled, climbing out of bed to grab a change of clothes and head to the shower. She knew exactly who had ‘informed’ JARVIS. Bruce did have a habit of trying to make her as comfortable as possible living in the Tower...

After a long shower in almost scalding hot water, Natasha finished getting dressed in a black tee and jeans, and left her room.

“What smells like a Bath & Body Works?”

Natasha rolled her eyes at Tony's question as she walked into the kitchen area, pulling open the fridge to grab her protein shake. Tony was pouring what looked like his third bowl of cereal, his eyes on the tablet beside his bowl. Steve sat on the other side of the island, his bowl of oatmeal half-finished as he flipped through a manila folder.

“Is that you, Romanoff? Since when do you...?” Tony gave her a look, laughing softly.

"Ask your AI and science bro." Natasha rolled her eyes, opening the protein shake and downing a quarter of it.

"Now there's something I could take the wrong way…" Tony grinned.

“It's lilacs, Stark.” Steve said matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes, setting down the folder and closing it.

“That's not a perfume?” Tony smirked, raising an eyebrow at Natasha, a mischievous lift to his voice.

Before she could respond, Bruce walked in. His hair was still damp from his shower, part of it sticking up at the back of his head. He smiled sheepishly when Natasha's eyes met his, and she found herself a little shocked at the relief written all over his face.

"Syringa vulgaris. It's a flower, Tony." He smiled, taking a seat next to Steve at the island. Steve pushed the folder over to him and Bruce scanned the contents, confused as to why Steve was reading about some random SHIELD files from 60 years ago. Steve shrugged at his puzzled look, standing to dump the rest of his oatmeal in the trash.

"I know it's a flower, Banner. I have a girlfriend who makes sure I know. I just wanted to mess with Romanoff." Tony mocked pouted, turning his attention back to his tablet. "You always have to ruin my fun."

"Somebody has to." Bruce shrugged.

Natasha smiled at Bruce, grabbing another protein shake from the fridge, walking behind him and setting it on the island next to his hand. She'd gotten him hooked on them one night after some intense training, so whenever they needed to restock, she made sure there was always enough for both of them. He took it, blushing slightly at first, then blushing harder when she ran a hand over his head to slick down the part of his hair that was sticking up.

"Stark, your definition of fun is more like pestering people until they want to cause bodily harm." She said casually, taking another sip of her shake as she went to lean against the fridge, sliding past Steve as he went to sit back at the island.

"Or just being a nuisance until everyone walks away from you to avoid committing murder." Steve muttered.

"Alright, alright I get it. I'm annoying." Tony huffed, putting his hands up in surrender as he slid his tablet to the middle of the table. "Enough picking on me. I pinpointed our first stop on our chaotic little road trip."

Natasha leaned against the fridge, watching as the lights dimmed and Tony tapped his smartwatch. A hologram sprang up from the tablet, the same map from the night before.

"Right here. This is where we have to go first."

Bruce blinked, tilting his head. Either he was seeing things wrong, or the data was off.

"Uh… Tony? That says New York."

"Uh huh." Tony said confidently.

"...We're already in New York."

"Very observant of you, Doctor Banner."

There was a long pause, everyone staring at Tony like he was mentally disturbed. Steve opened his mouth to speak, but shut it when he saw the tiny smirk on Tony's lips.

"...He's screwing with us."

Tony burst into laughter, nearly doubling over at the confused expressions the other members of the Avengers had on their faces.

"This isn't the time for jokes, Stark. We're facing a real threat, here." Steve said tightly, his jaw tense.

"I got it, Rogers." Natasha said, punching Tony's shoulder to stop him from laughing. It worked, Tony staring at her like she was crazy as he rubbed his sore arm.

"Ow! What was that for???"

"C'mon, stop messing around, Tony." Bruce said finally, getting a bit irritated as well.

"Alright fine, Alfalfa. Don't Hulk out on me." Tony muttered, shaking his sore arm and using his hands to zoom in on the map. "But our first stop is New York. Anybody know a Betty Ross?"

XXXXXX

Bruce sat silently in the passenger seat of Tony's sports car, his mind reeling as they got closer and closer to their destination. He hadn't spoken since Tony had said Betty's name. It was as if hearing her name alone had triggered some defense mechanism, and Bruce had completely shut down, lost in his own thoughts.

Before they left, Bruce had explained his connection to Betty. He explained that she had been trying to help him get rid of the Other Guy, and that he had run off and left her behind for her own safety. He explained that he'd given his research to her, not looking at Natasha the entire time he spoke. But he didn't have to, because Natasha could tell that his feelings for Betty went beyond just friends.

When he finished, Tony had uncomfortably explained that traces of the first chemical were found in the rubble of the building Betty had been living in, alongside some research of hers. But there were no signs that she had survived the attack on New York. Bruce had seen her name on the wall of those lost, but had always held out hope that maybe she had either changed her name or gone into hiding, and that they'd found someone else's remains in her apartment.

"Must be weird for you." Tony said quietly as they neared the place. "Going to an ex-girlfriend's house. Or... the rubble of an ex-girlfriend's house."

Bruce didn't respond, simply grunted and continued to stare out of the window. It was obvious that Tony was uncomfortable and apparently unable to read Bruce's body language, so he just kept on talking, despite being the only one doing so.

"I don't know how I would react if I had to go to one of my ex's places with my girlfriend. I don't know how Pepper would react. Natasha-."

"Natasha isn't my girlfriend." Bruce muttered, interrupting him. "...I really don't feel like talking about this right now, okay Tony? Let's just… focus on the mission."

Tony went silent after that, hearing the irritation in Bruce's voice. Bruce sighed, watching the city go by as they sped through it. He couldn't decide how he felt. Part of him was depressed, knowing that Betty was dead… but he'd spent the last few months thinking she was dead, and silently grieving anyway. Part of him was excited to know that she might have been still doing research for him, trying to find him a cure. Part of him was nervous to see why she had one of the serum's components in her house, to see what she had done with it. And part of him… part of him was angry. Angry at himself for not checking up on her. Angry at Tony for being so nonchalant about it all. Angry at Loki and the Chitauri for being the reason she died.

It was strange, being this angry about something but not caring if Hulk made an appearance or not.

Natasha rode in the car behind them with Steve, quietly chewing on a fingernail as she rested her feet on the dashboard. Was she nervous? Yes, of course she was. Who wouldn't be? They were headed for the place where Bruce's ex-girlfriend had died. While they were off fighting the Chitauri and capturing Loki, Betty Ross had been dying in the rubble of her home. Natasha could only imagine what was going through Bruce's head, and she truly hoped he wouldn't Hulk out in Tony's car.

"Feet off the dash."

Natasha looked over at Steve, rolling her eyes as she moved her feet down to the floor. Apparently nothing had changed when it came to riding shotgun with him.

"Sorry, Dad."

Steve chuckled at the slight whine in her tone. They were silent for a few moments before he spoke again.

"So… Dr. Banner and Betty Ross were a thing?" Steve asked.

"Apparently." Natasha shrugged. "I don't know if it was official but…"

"He had feelings for her."

"Mm-hm."

They were quiet for a while, Steve clearing his throat and Natasha fiddling with the Widow's Bites on her wrists. Her catsuit felt tighter than usual, and she took a deep breath to relax.

"You're worried about him."

Natasha blinked, crossing her arms as she looked over at him.

"And you're not? The man has anger issues and we're taking him to the place his ex-girlfriend died." She sighed. "He should've stayed back at the Tower."

"What, stayed there so he could be sad all by himself?" Steve asked, glancing at her. "We're his support system, Natasha. Though I'm sure he'll probably never admit it. And besides, he insisted on coming."

Natasha thought a moment, turning back to the window. Steve was right. If he'd been left to his own devices, who knew what Bruce could have done. While he had gotten more control over the big guy, guilt and anger together were often enough to trigger a Code Green. If they'd left him at the Tower, they might have returned to their own pile of rubble, with Bruce naked and unconscious in the middle of it. Especially since he claimed he was strong enough to handle coming along.

She supposed all they could do was trust him.

XXXXXX

Construction equipment surrounded the mostly destroyed building. Tony had asked the crew to clear out while they searched, and when they saw him in his Iron Man suit, they hurried off. The first floor of the apartment building was mostly intact, with half of the second floor completely gone. The half that was still intact was where Betty had been living. Tony flew up to the hole in the wall of the second floor, stepping inside and looking around.

"All clear. Most of the stairs are still good. Be careful."

Natasha hurried up the stairs, turning around to help Bruce up a large gap between some of them. Steve followed, giving Bruce a boost up. Bruce showed them which apartment was hers, the one at the end of the hall with no door.

Posters and articles littered the walls and floor of the apartment, most burned to a crisp but a few somewhat legible. Broken glass was everywhere, covering notebook papers with the word "Hulk" written somewhere on them. The almost completely decomposed heads of a few Chitauri lay on the floor, their own weapons next to them. Apparently, Betty had tried to fight her way out and had died in the process. Bruce silently gave thanks that her body had been recovered and he wouldn't have to see her remains.

He ran his hand over some of the papers, smiling mournfully at the different articles about how much of a hero Hulk was. Natasha followed him closely, choosing not to draw attention to a sheet of paper with the words 'hopeless', 'too late, and 'I can't' written on it.

Tony led the way into a particularly dark room in the back of the apartment, where a path of broken beakers and papers led. A desk covered in burnt paper and pencils sat against the far wall, a desk chair dangling dangerously out of the window. The walls were lined with broken beakers, syringes, jars… all leaking different chemicals. Bruce chewed his lip hoping that Betty hadn't been testing these chemicals on herself.

"I think I found something…" Steve said suddenly from the desk, pointing at a particular dusty notebook.

Bruce, Natasha and Tony joined him. Tony took off his helmet, holding it at his side. Bruce gingerly picked up the notebook, running his eyes sadly over Betty's name written on the front. He opened it, coughing when a cloud of ash sprang up. He waved it away, forcing himself to focus on what was written there.

January 6th, 2006  
I've lost my other notebook, so I figured I'd write down my thoughts in here, separate from my research. Bruce would be proud of me. I think I'm close to a cure. The tests have been somewhat successful, the rats are all still alive. Except for one. I'm missing something, I just don't know what. But I will keep looking. I made him a promise and I fully intend to keep it.

November 14th, 2008  
I'm beginning to lose hope. All the rats have died. They lived a little over two years with the 'cure' and then just collapsed one by one. I'm not sure what went wrong. I hope Bruce is doing alright. I suppose no news is good news… but I'm worried about him, and to be honest, I never stopped worrying.

December 25th, 2010  
I haven't heard from Bruce in years. I hope he's having a good Christmas, far away from anything stressful. I wonder if he's in hiding. I hope he's getting the rest he needs. I know Hulk can be hard to handle. I've been thinking about them a lot lately, I wish I knew where he was, or at the very least I wish he would call.

April 24th, 2012  
I met a man today who said he knows about my research to find a cure for Bruce's condition. He offered to pay me for what I've discovered. He says his team is very close to a cure and that they will tell me when they find one. They'll help me contact Bruce so we can give it to him. All he wants is Bruce's research. I'm hesitant to trust him but… he claims to be SHIELD. SHIELD helps people like Bruce, and I haven't gotten any closer to a cure on my own. I'm seriously considering his offer, but I'm not sure.

May 1st, 2012  
The landlord came to visit me today. He wanted to know what I was working on. I told him the bare minimum. He probably thinks I'm making drugs in here.

Bruce smiled a little at that, his heart leaping in his chest as he read the date for the last entry. He would never forget that day, the day everyone realized that Earth was not the only planet with sentient beings on it. The day he and Hulk decided to fight for the same thing. 

The day they had saved the world.

May 4th, 2012  
I don't have much time. There are literal aliens coming from a portal in the sky. They've already destroyed the floor above me. It's all on TV, every single channel is flooded with it. SHIELD says that 'The Avengers' are here to help. Tony Stark's Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, the Black Widow… and… Bruce. Oh my god they say he's in the city. He's alive and he's here...and they aren't mentioning Hulk. Maybe SHIELD did find a cure with what I gave them... I wonder why they never called me. I hope I get to see him once this is all over and ask him about it. I have so many questions, and I really just want to tell him how much I missed him-

The rest of the entry was burned to ashes, the page a dark brown where the rest of the words should be. Bruce went completely stiff, a cold chill running through his body as reality set in. He took a shaky breath, suddenly setting the notebook back down on the desk.

"It was HYDRA." He said in a broken tone, turning and leaving the apartment. "HYDRA took my research."

Natasha looked at Tony and Steve, a sympathetic frown on her face. 

"I'll get him," she said softly, hurrying off after him.

Once they were gone, Tony sighed and picked up the notebook, putting it gingerly in the compartment inside his suit. Steve watched him put on his helmet, then turned to finish searching the apartment.

They didn't find much.

XXXXXX

"How's he doing?" Tony asked as Natasha walked into the lab and sat on one of the desks.

"He'll be fine. A little shaken, but… he'll be okay. Just needs some time alone. Didn't really feel like talking when we got here."

"Poor guy." Tony muttered, turning back to his desk. "Can't imagine what he's feeling. Must suck."

When everyone had arrived back at the Tower, Natasha had walked inside with Bruce before he thanked her, told her he'd be fine and disappeared into his bedroom. She'd stood outside his door for a second, before turning to go change into her civilian clothes. Tony had put his Iron Man armor away, and made a few phone calls to buy the remnants of Betty's apartment building and have it rebuilt. Steve had changed as well and went directly to the lab, knowing that the best way he could help Bruce was to stop the psychopaths that had stolen his research from Betty.

Tony broke the solemn silence by pulling out the notebook, setting it on the table.

"I guess we oughta talk about this." He shrugged. "While Banner is recovering."

"I guess. So, we know why there were traces of the chemical there." Steve said, getting from his seat in the corner and walking to the table.

"Yeah, she was trying to find a cure for Bruce." Natasha said softly, her brow furrowed. "I wonder how HYDRA found out about her. I know it wasn't the spies at SHIELD. Fury would've figured it out and said something."

"Fury never told anyone everything." Tony said bitterly. "It was part of his mantra."

"Yeah… but something as important as this? He would've at least told me." She huffed. "Especially before I went to recruit Bruce."

"Fury had trust issues. We all know that." Tony shrugged.

"So… are we saying it was the HYDRA outside of SHIELD?" Steve asked.

"Had to be." Natasha nodded. "Real question is… who exactly did she sell the research to? And where are they now?"

"Closest known person with ties to HYDRA is the senator. Senator Chambre." Tony said, pulling up a display with the senator's overall profile. "He had several ties with old HYDRA officials, they helped him get into office. So I guess it makes sense he'd wanna be a part of the new one."

"So… we just have to interrogate the senator? Easy enough." Natasha shrugged.

"Yeah, it sounds easy, but when you think about it… how are we, a group of 'vigilante superheroes' gonna convince a man tied to the one group that hates us most... to come talk to us and jeopardize their evil plan to take over the world?" Steve pointed out, chuckling bitterly.

"Right." Natasha sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Almost forgot we're not exactly everyone's favorite group."

"Well, actually, I might have a solution…" Tony said slowly, grinning when all of their attention was on him. "One of us could go undercover."

Natasha blinked, her gaze hardening when she realized what he was hinting at.

"Oh no, Stark. Not again." She shook her head.

"Not what again?" Steve raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Aw, come on Romanoff you did it so well! You even had me fooled!" Tony said, grinning wildly.

"That actually wasn't hard to do, Stark. For a man with a brain as big as yours, you're pretty dumb when it comes to people."

"Did what?" Steve asked, his voice raising slightly. "What are you two talking about?"

Natasha sighed, running a hand through her hair and groaning.

"He wants to bring back Natalie Rushman."

"Natalie Rushman!" Tony exclaimed, probably a little too excitedly, as if greeting an old friend.

"Natalie Rushman? Who is Natalie Rushman?" Steve blinked. "Another one of Banner's old girlfriends?"

"Oh, please. As if Banner could get with a girl like that." Tony smirked, winking at Natasha.

"It was my undercover name when Fury was evaluating Stark for the Avengers Initiative. We needed his tech and had to see if he was mentally sound enough to help us with it." She glared at the smug billionaire across the table. "Which he wasn't. and still isn't."

"Okay, let me get this straight." Steve sighed. "You want to send Romanoff in as this Natalie Rushman to be his...what exactly?"

"Secretary." Natasha nodded, speaking before Tony could. "I was Tony's secretary." 

"You were my hot secretary. That part is important. " Tony grinned, laughing almost hysterically at the way her gaze whipped to him. He put his hands up in defense. "Hey, I wasn't dating Pepper at the time, and also... I had eyes so… I mean, your looks were part of the reason I hired you. That and the fact that you beat up Happy the first time we met. Oh and also your resume. But wasn't that the point? Send a spicy little redhead to work for an egotistical billionaire playboy? Perfect recipe."

"For disaster, maybe." Natasha rolled her eyes, turning away from him. Working undercover as his secretary had been the most annoying job she'd ever had. She'd had to feign mild interest in him to keep him intrigued, while also trying not to blow her cover by accidentally sleeping with him. As irritating as Tony Stark was, he did have charisma and charm going for him. If she pretended to not find him the single most frustrating person on planet Earth to be around, she could see why Pepper loved him so much. He did have that bothersome habit of actually being a genuinely good person at times.

"Right... Anyway, if we're gonna do this," she jerked a thumb at the holographic display showing the senator's face. "I have to stay behind for a week or two and convince Senator Chambre that I'm an actual secretary, before I get some info. Which means that you…"

"We'll have to be the ones traveling to the second location you pinpointed, trying to find the next part of the serum in the meantime." Steve said, nodding at Tony.

"Right. You'll... have to take Banner with you." Natasha stated, ignoring the sharp jab she felt in the pit of her stomach as she spoke. "He's the one who knows the serum best."

"Who's gonna stay behind as backup for you?" Tony blinked, crossing his arms. "I know you can handle yourself but if things go sideways…"

"I can stay behind."

The three of them spun towards the door, Bruce's voice startling them all. His hair was a mess, his face a bit haunted, but no one would point that out. They knew what grief looked like.

He walked into the lab, leaning against the table that Natasha sat on. She raised an eyebrow at his statement, waiting for an explanation. Why would he stay behind when it was his serum they were chasing?

"Tony, you know the serum almost as well as I do. You and Steve can handle any HYDRA agents you might encounter. Besides…" He took a breath, looking over at Natasha. "I really think I should stay here."

Natasha looked at him, her heart clenching. She didn't know if anyone else could hear it, but to her… his voice sounded almost tender and pleading, as if he were begging her not to make him go without her. She stared at him for a moment, then turned back to Steve and Tony.

"I think he has a point." She said simply with a shrug.

"...oh yeah, the Lullaby." Tony said suddenly, breaking the growing silence between the four of them. He was a little put off at the look Bruce had given Natasha, because he knew that look. He knew it well, because that was the same look he gave Pepper when she wasn't paying attention… like she was his lifeline. 

He was all for office romances, but this seemed like much more than that. He had never seen Bruce so emotionally dependent before.

"None of us can do the Lullaby except Romanoff." Steve added abruptly, catching on. "So even if we ran into HYDRA out there, we might not be able to bring you back, Dr. Banner."

"Exactly." Bruce said with a slight nod, content with allowing the guys to think that that was the main reason he wanted to stay behind, not because he only felt truly safe with Natasha alongside them and didn't want to be out traveling the world without her. He didn't want to add any more unnecessary deaths to the list. "And won't we have comms this time?"

Tony nodded, grateful to have something else to focus on, turning away from them to grab a different holographic screen and throw it up above the table in the middle of the lab. It showed a detailed analysis of four tiny devices.

"Nearly invisible, formed to fit each of our ears perfectly." Tony explained, rotating them. "I went ahead and bumped up the range so that we can communicate across the world. Took me almost 8 hours, and should've taken longer... but you know, I'm a genius."

The rest of the group just rolled their eyes.

XXXXXX

After securing a few more details and making a few phone calls, it was settled. Steve would gather his gear, which had been chemical-proofed in case HYDRA decided to play dirty, and meet Tony to board the jet when he finished upgrading the Iron Man suit. They would leave the next day to retrieve the second chemical. Bruce and Natasha would stay behind, with Natasha going to interview for the secretary position with the senator in two days. While she was undercover, Bruce would continue trying to pinpoint the third location they would need to search, using information Natasha got from the senator. Once they either found out the next location, or the chemical, Steve and Tony would return to New York to pick up Bruce and Natasha.

XXXXXX

"You'll need to have secured the second location as soon as possible." Steve said, tightening the straps on his shield, the wind from the open hangar door above him ruffling the hair on his helmetless head.

The sun had just come up over the horizon, bathing the entire Stark hangar in an orange glow.

"Which should be in about a week. If everything goes to plan." Tony said, tapping his tablet rapidly. "JARVIS is set to alert all of us if your cover is compromised, Romanoff. He'll be with you the whole time. As part of your earpiece."

"Got it." She nodded, fiddling with the device as she secured it in her ear. "You sure these things have enough range? I'll need to know the minute you guys find the next part of the serum so I know when to start railing the senator for info on the next location."

"You wanna rail Senator Chambre?" Tony laughed. "TMI, Romanoff."

Natasha rolled her eyes, crossing her arms, not in the mood to deal with his wisecracks. Tony smirked, putting his hands up in mock surrender.

"Fine, fine. Yes I'm sure. All you have to do is play the part of the innocent secretary until we know for sure that we have it."

She nodded, moving forward to assist Steve with his own earpiece.

Tony turned to Bruce, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and taking a few steps towards the quinjet, away from Natasha and Steve.

"You just hole up in the lab like we used to in the good old days, buddy." He said with a grin. "I'm counting on you."

Bruce couldn't do more than offer a weak smile as they stopped near the entrance to the belly of the quinjet, reaching out to shake his best friend's hand.

"Be careful out there, we're not sure what we're up against yet." He said, tightening his grip a bit to drive his point home. "This new HYDRA may have already started testing so… you may run into some pretty ugly experiments. Just… be careful. Okay?"

"Hey, when am I ever not careful?" Tony smirked, winking. He knew his best friend was worried, and knew that if he and Steve were injured or killed by some wannabe Hulks, Bruce would blame himself.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Bruce chuckled, rolling his eyes as he finally started brightening up a little.

"Mm...no, I'm good." Tony grinned. His face fell after a moment and he sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry about Betty. She didn't deserve to go like that."

"It's the world we live in." Bruce shrugged.

"I'm honestly surprised you haven't Hulked out."

"Yeah, honestly… I'm surprised too. But, I don't know, I think the Other Guy can tell a visit from him really won't help anyone right now."

"Yeah… hey, just try not to get tangled up in the Black Widow's web while we're gone." Tony smirked, nudging Bruce with his elbow.

"Uh… yeah. Thanks for the advice." Bruce chuckled awkwardly.

XXXXXX

"Keep a close eye on him, Romanoff." Steve said in a lowered tone as she finished securing his earpiece so it couldn't be seen and wouldn't fall out. "I think he's still beating himself up over Betty Ross."

His eyes were on Bruce's back as he talked to Tony, and Natasha followed his gaze.

"Yeah, I can see it in his eyes." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "But don't worry, I won't let him fester in the lab like a hermit. I'll make sure he gets his work done, but I'll get him out of that lab at some point even if I have to drag him out by his hair."

Steve laughed, crossing his arms as they waited for Tony and Bruce to finish talking and rejoin them. Bruce was smiling, his cheeks turning bright red at something Tony said, and he couldn't help but smile, knowing it had to be something about Natasha from the way Bruce glanced over his shoulder at her.

"You know, as much as he irritates me, Stark was right about one thing." He said softly, leaning over so Natasha could hear him. "You're good for Dr. Banner."

She didn't even question how he'd heard Tony say that, simply shrugging and smiling in quiet agreement.

XXXXXX

"Random question before we go," Tony asked as his Mark 45 suit finished locking into place on his body. "Why don't we have names for the chemicals that make up the serum?"

Everyone turned to Bruce, who shrugged and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"I um… I sort of used chemicals that don't exactly have names. I… did a lot of mixing."

"Well then, we should give them decent names. Like Beryllium Ethanoate for this second one we're chasing."

Bruce raised an eyebrow at him, Natasha snorted, and Steve just stared blankly… all of them lost as to how Tony managed to come up with something like that… but no one had a better name.

"Beryllium Ethanoate it is then."

The quinjet took off only minutes later, after a final 'synchronizing of watches' and good luck wishes. Bruce and Natasha watched them go, before the hangar doors closed and they were alone. 

"Well, Doc, looks like we have work to do." Natasha smirked, looping her arm through his.

Bruce felt his cheeks burn, and he smiled sheepishly, suddenly feeling a lot better just from her being here.

He walked with her into the elevator and up to the lab, when something struck him all at once. Betty was gone. Had been for months now. He couldn't do anything about it, and beating himself up about her death wouldn't do anyone any good. Especially now, when the team was counting on him to keep his head on straight so they could wipe out this new HYDRA threat. 

Yes, it hurt horribly to know Betty was gone. She had been one of the few people actually willing to help him when he needed it most. He'd had deep feelings for her, feelings that had yet to fade, and probably wouldn't any time soon.

But as they entered the lab, he realized that those feelings that he'd had… those feelings of admiration, infatuation, and some emotion he hadn't quite come to terms with yet… had been intensified and redirected towards the smirking redhead sitting on Tony's desk.

"He's not going to be happy when he finds out you sat on his stuff." Bruce said in a mock warning tone.

"And since when do I care about whether Tony is happy with me or not?" She laughed, flicking one of the pencils beside her onto the floor. "Besides, I have two days until my interview, and almost a week before they get back. Might as well enjoy myself."

Bruce watched her slide off of the desk and into the chair near his own desk, her arms crossed as she nodded towards the paperwork littered across it.

"Go ahead, Banner. You've got work to do." She said, pulling out her phone and beginning to do research on Senator Chambre.

Bruce smiled sheepishly and swallowed as he turned to try and focus on the calculations in front of him, silently wondering if he had made the right choice by staying in the Tower with her.

Maybe Tony's advice was warranted.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce learns that he's joining Natasha on her mission, which would be fine if he wasn't falling in love with her.

It was late evening, the stars in the sky nearly drowned out by the bright lights in the lab. Tony and Steve had been gone for almost three days. Bruce had been spending almost every waking moment working, struggling to focus on the glowing map and various notes in front of him. He would've spent every hour in the lab, but even with the Hulk, he was still human, and humans needed food and sleep. That wasn't to say that he had gotten much sleep anyway. The last couple of nights were spent lying awake, the thoughts in his head and fear of more nightmares like the one about Natasha's death becoming too much to allow him to rest for more than a few hours. 

What he didn't know was that Natasha spent those nights lying awake as well, her own demons and devils making their unwelcome appearances in her mind before she forced them away to get at least a couple hours of sleep. She also told JARVIS not to tell Bruce about her insomnia. She knew he had enough to worry about right now. The last thing he needed to do was to start being concerned about her sleep cycle. When it came to working in the lab, he'd barely made any headway, and that was frustrating him beyond belief. She could see the tension in his muscles and in his smile, heard the weariness in his voice when he spoke, and she wished there was something she could do to help him. But it did seem that he had finally stopped beating himself up over the volatile serum being his, and she liked to think that she had played some role in that. 

She had reminded him more than once that he was not the one at fault, HYDRA was. She also reminded him that they were part of a team. A team that had yet to fail, and they weren't planning on failing now.

But his focus was so fragile lately, every negative thought that crossed his mind able to tear his attention away from his work. Trying to pinpoint the next location was very monotonous work to try and focus on, but he soon realized, with mild surprise, that he was able to focus best when Natasha was around.

Whenever she saw him standing at his desk in a daze, his brow furrowed as his mind ran over every awful outcome of HYDRA completing his serum… she would snap him out of it by pelting him with a wadded up piece of paper, asking if he wanted to order dinner in, or by asking some question about his work to try and reign his focus back in.

She was his constant in the world of uncertainty he'd allowed himself to exist in, and he was more than happy that she was here with him. He appreciated her, more than he could vocalize.

And it wasn't only because of the Lullaby. He could tell that she knew that, too, despite his attempts at hiding it.

There was always this tension between them, as if there were many things that had yet to be said, but… the timing was wrong. So they let the tension stay stagnant between them.

But even with their silent agreement, Bruce was almost always on edge. Although Avengers Tower was probably the safest place in the world for them, there was always a bothersome air of unease about him when he was alone. And it wasn't just him who felt it, either. Bruce could feel the constant waves of protective fear trying to transfer from Hulk to himself, but managed to keep it caged inside him, just like every other raw emotion the Hulk felt… because Hulk didn't understand. He didn't understand why Bruce held his feelings inside. He didn't understand why they couldn't hold her in their arms, why they couldn't smash anyone who looked at her with lust in their eyes. Hulk knew that they needed to be near her, that they needed to protect her, and didn't understand why Bruce wouldn't let him.

No matter how much Bruce tried to snuff out those feelings, he couldn't deny their existence. There was this nagging sense of danger at the back of his mind, as if something awful might enter the Tower and take Natasha away from him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to lose her just like he had lost Betty, no matter how many times he reminded himself that she was just fine.

He had tried to mask his sigh of relief behind a cough whenever she entered the lab each morning, safe and sound, but knew it didn't work when she would raise an eyebrow at him and her lips would twitch into a small smirk. 

"Miss me?"

Her visits were originally only when she needed to ask him something, because she knew the lab was his "sacred space". She had taken to working down in the common living area, but eventually joined him in the lab because she felt the crushing loneliness that an empty Avengers Tower sometimes evoked, and simply wanted to be near someone she trusted. Thankfully he didn't seem to mind the intrusion, and judging from the smile he gave her when she brought in her laptop and all of the files she had been using for her research, he apparently welcomed her presence.

This was where she sat now, in the corner near Tony's desk, her earbuds in as she typed away furiously on her laptop. It wasn't that she didn't like Bruce's opera that was playing over the lab's speakers, she just preferred listening to her own music as she focused on trying to make her cover as Natalie Rushman as airtight as possible. Various papers were spread around her chair, on subjects ranging from the names of Senator Chambre's last three wives, to what happened to his last secretary.

She was secretly glad that Tony had come up with bringing Rushman back, because that meant her cover name was already associated with a reputable organization that had once done business with Chambre. If all went well, it would only take a little work and a wig to convince Senator Chambre that she was more, but not too much more than the usual ditzy women he tended to hire.

Glancing up at Bruce's back, she felt the corners of her lips twitch at the sight of him running a hand through his disheveled curls, his movements a bit slow due to how long he'd gone without a break. The lab coat he wore somehow accentuated his exhaustion, one half of the collar up while the other side was folded down. But even with his workaholic look, she still found herself slightly entranced at the way his hands ghosted over keyboards and holographic screens, minimizing useless information and maximizing the more interesting stuff. Not for the first time in all the time she'd known him, she allowed herself to indulge in the alluring fluidity of his movements, the confidence in his decisions as he flew through each calculation and process. She smiled to herself. If this was how he worked when he was worried, stressed, and nearly sleep-deprived, she wasn't sure she could handle seeing him work when everything was fine and the world wasn't in danger.

Bruce had found a strange sort of comfort in the monotonous sounds of her keyboard, and had finally sunk so fully into his work that he didn't notice when the sound suddenly disappeared beneath the operatic voices swirling in the air around him. Using the last of Betty's research, he had finally narrowed his search down to an area in the Sahara desert, supposedly underground, but he wouldn't be sure until Natasha got more information from the senator after her interview the next day. 

He let out a sigh, spinning a pen in his hand as he set his focus on the screen in front of him, uploading what he'd discovered onto Tony's secure server. They hadn't heard much from him and Steve, only one or two calls checking in. He hoped they were safe, and hoped they had found the Beryllium Ethanoate. He needed something positive to think about.

Lost in his thoughts, Bruce physically jumped when he felt a slight breeze ghost over the back of his neck. Startled, he whirled around to find Natasha standing there, her eyebrow raised and a smirk on her lips. He had forgotten how fast and quiet she was.

"Sorry, big guy." She said, a laugh in her tone as she took a step back to put a little more respectful distance between them. "Didn't mean to startle you."

Bruce chuckled uneasily, adjusting his askew glasses back into place on his nose before rethinking it and taking the glasses off entirely.

"It's okay…" He said, smiling sheepishly. He hated being this shaken, especially in front of her. True, she had seen him shaking like a leaf, half naked and whimpering after the Lullaby, but this was different. His face felt awfully warm, his eyes were wide, his stance unintentionally protective as he shrugged off her apology. He wasn't fidgeting because he was exhausted and drained from his transformation, he was fidgeting because he was embarrassed. He felt like a young boy that had been caught daydreaming in class and didn't know the answer to a previously asked science question. He glanced towards the windows at the dark sky outside, desperate for something else to say. "Um...What time is it?"

"Almost midnight." Natasha smirked, noticing how his fingers trembled slightly as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. "I'm just seeing what you're wrapping up over here. Judging from your reaction just then, you need sleep."

"I… I'm fine, really. You can go ahead. You look tired too." He shrugged, the tenderness his voice was laced with letting her know that he wasn't trying to dismiss her or anything. "I'll go to bed after these finish uploading."

"With Stark's strange wifi connection, who knows how long that might take." She raised an eyebrow.

"I won't stay up all night…"

"Maybe not intentionally." Natasha scoffed as she hung her earbuds around her neck, remembering the last time Bruce had practically begged Tony to do something about the wifi situation.

\---

"You're the figurehead of the most tech-savvy organization in the world, and the wifi in your own Tower is practically garbage. At least make it fast enough to decently stream movies."

"First of all, Stark Industries is not 'tech-savvy'. That makes it sound like a bunch of high-IQ teens in somebody's basement. Second of all, why so adamant, Banner? You and Romanoff wanna have movie marathons together? Not while I'm not here."

"Tony…"

"Cut the crap, I've seen the looks. It's obvious you two need a chaperone. And Rogers is an awful babysitter."

"W-What looks? We're just fr-"

"I can see it now, the two of you snuggled up on the couch, feeding each other popcorn while you watch sappy black and white movies… trying, and failing, to hide your secret little superhero romance while Steve sits there completely oblivious. Nope, that settles it. The Internet stays mediocre at best when I'm not here."

\---

Bruce had let the subject drop after that, rolling his eyes as he left Tony to his rambling. He never could talk to Tony when he was like that. Tony already had his own concrete assumptions about everyone on the team, and Bruce hadn't felt like going back and forth about what he and Natasha may or may not be that day. Natasha never let him know that she even overheard the conversation, keeping it quiet like a secret that no one truly cared about. She had found it funny how Tony brought up the idea of her and Bruce having their own little movie nights, because he wasn't far from the truth. They did have movie nights, but always with Steve present. And they all sat at a respectful distance on the two couches and loveseat down in the theater area... but Bruce did manage to share a bowl of popcorn with her, glad that his fevered blushing was hidden from Steve by the darkness of the room whenever her fingers happened to brush his.

"Yeah, well… I promised Steve I'd make sure you didn't spend your life cooped up in here. So either you come to bed now, or you'll have to deal with me dragging you out of here in about five minutes."

Bruce couldn't stop the flood of warmth that spread from his chest all the way up into his face. Something about the phrase 'come to bed', coming from her, had caused the idea of them literally sleeping together to resurface with a passion. 

Even though he knew that she didn't mean it that way.

He forced himself to turn back to his desk as his sleep-deprived imagination ran wild with the idea of them being alone in a completely different context, no matter how hard he tried not to think about it.

\---

It was as if it had happened before, as if it were happening now... even though she was nowhere near that close to him… he could practically feel her body nestled against his own as she hugged him from behind. He could feel her breath through his shirt as she convinced him to follow her to bed. He could feel her hand tightly clasping his own when he agreed, tugging him away from the lab, their pulses coexisting in a calming rhythm between their palms. He could feel her hair brushing gently along his chest as she shifted in his arms, the steady beating of her heart slowing to match his own as they simultaneously released their hold on reality, drifting off into the most peaceful sleep either of them had experienced in a long time…

\---

He shook himself, biting his tongue to keep the words 'I'd like to see you try' from spilling out. What was the matter with him? Swallowing thickly, he cleared his throat and forced a chuckle, turning back to her.

"Alright, fine. I'll let JARVIS oversee the upload. But really, you can go ahead. I'll go to bed in a few minutes." He took a slow breath, his face looking less crimson. "I promise."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed over her chest. He'd had his back turned to her for just a few seconds too long to be dismissed as normal behavior… but she had a feeling that teasing him about it wouldn't do any good at this point. Not when he was fidgeting like that. She squinted at him, trying not to smile at the light pink on his cheeks and the adorable shyness in his eyes. Those eyes… He was the only man she knew that could practically melt her heart with just one look. She had the strangest urge to let go of her defenses and simply stare into those deep brown irises, to lose herself in the gentle warmth that radiated from them when he looked at her...

"Five minutes. Then bed." She said, forcing the intrusive thoughts to the back of her mind.

"Five minutes is all I need." He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck.

She paused, suspicious. He had conceded way too quickly, and she could tell that if she left this room and went to bed, she would find him passed out at his desk by the time morning hit. 

"JARVIS?" She called, her eyes never leaving his.

"Yes, Ms. Romanoff?"

"Let me know if Dr. Banner isn't in bed within five minutes." She commanded, raising an eyebrow at the blushing scientist who was playfully rolling his eyes.

"Starting now, ma'am?"

Natasha grinned, tapping her chin thoughtfully in a way that had Bruce watching her every move, his lips quirking into a smile. She truly was something else, and he did enjoy seeing her so playful and almost carefree. It made it so much easier to keep himself grounded, which wasn't a small feat considering the circumstances.

"Hm… no, start counting after I leave." She smiled at Bruce, winking once. "I'll give you that extra 20 seconds."

"How gracious of you," he chuckled as she powered down her laptop, turned on her heel, and headed out of the lab.

"Clock's ticking, Doc." She threw over her shoulder, laughing as well.

"I can practically hear it now." He grinned as she reached the door. "Goodnight, Natasha."

"Goodnight Bruce." She smiled at him, one hand on the doorframe. "Go to bed."

Their eyes met, and Bruce felt a wave of some foreign, almost burning emotion run through him as he searched the strange look swirling in her eyes. It was softer than usual, laced with a concern that Bruce had only seen once before, when Clint had been coming out of Loki's mind control. She seemed genuinely worried about him getting some rest, and if he thought about it, he saw her point. He did have a tendency to run himself ragged trying to fix a mess he'd made, and no one knew that better than her. They had spent enough time around each other that she was probably the second leading authority on Bruce Banner's work habits, besides Tony.

"I know, I know. I will." He laughed. She grinned, disappearing from the doorway, her laughter floating back down the hall as she went.

Bruce smiled, realizing that Steve had been right about the walls in Avengers Tower being slightly thinner than expected. He watched the door for a moment, before releasing a long breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He turned back to the monitor, a bit irritated that the loading bar had only just hit 24%. 

"You and your slow internet are gonna get me in trouble, Tony…" he muttered.

"Three minutes remaining, Dr. Banner."

"Thanks, JARVIS." Bruce chuckled at the warning, tempted to let the timer run out, just to mess with Natasha. He could imagine looking up from his work, seeing her standing there in her pajama top and shorts, her eyes narrowed as she crossed the lab to his desk.

\---

"I thought I told you to go to bed." 

"Yeah, but I realized I had more work to do." He chuckled, removing his glasses and running a hand through his hair.

"We both have more work to do. But you don't see me staying up till the break of dawn doing it. Saving humanity will have to wait until tomorrow." She placed her hand on top of the papers in front of him, leaning down to stare into his eyes, her face close to his. "Get up, you're going to sleep."

"Natasha…"

"Don't 'Natasha' me, Bruce Banner. Let's go."

Her eyes were intense as ever, but he could see the teasing laughter in them, and noticed the twitch of her lips as she tried not to smile. God, she was beautiful.

Before he could fully register that he had even moved, he was leaning across the desk, their lips only millimeters apart. He froze, suddenly terrified as it sunk in what he had been planning on doing. They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, their breaths mixing in the small space between them. She saw the apprehension written all over his face, and knew he was going to back out any moment, his own insecurities making him second-guess what she was thinking of as the single most attractive thing he had ever done. Before he could back away and fly into about a million apologies, she smirked and closed the gap, more than a little pleased when she heard the relieved sigh that escaped his lips the minute they made contact with her own. Years of pent up frustration, fear, and anger were eclipsed by the calm and solace they found in each other as she crawled over his desk and into his arms, their lips never breaking contact.

\---

"One minute, Dr. Banner. Shall I contact Agent Romanoff?"

Bruce felt his heart leap in his chest and nearly growled in frustration as JARVIS's warning broke him from his daydream. He took a deep breath, his face a deeper crimson than it had been in a while. 

"No, that's alright, JARVIS. I'm going." He chuckled uneasily, deciding that maybe it was best that she not come back to the lab. "Keep an eye on that upload for me."

"Of course, sir."

Pulling off his lab coat, Bruce scooped up his notebook and hurried out of the lab to go take the longest, coldest shower of his life.

XXXXXX

"You sure this is a good idea…?"

Bruce asked Tony warily as Natasha double checked his earpiece. Her hair had been straightened, and she was wearing a white blouse and black pencil skirt. The black heels she was supposed to be wearing sat a few feet away, having been discarded when she realized how uncomfortable they were. 

Tony was on the holo-screen in front of them, sounding winded but looking excited, his face speckled with dirt and blood. They had found the Beryllium Ethanoate, and had easily taken down the HYDRA base it had been housed in, but weren't able to return yet. Something about a HYDRA agent sending a distress signal out about them. The whole area was on high alert, and security would be much tighter now, which meant they had to lay low until things died down. Steve sat in the background behind Tony in the belly of the Quinjet, wiping the blood from his shield and listening silently as Tony explained to Bruce that he had to accompany Natasha on her undercover mission. Naturally, Bruce was not a fan of undercover ops, and even though Natasha would be there just like last time, he feared he would blow their cover anyway.

"Of course I'm sure! You did just fine the last time you went incognito." Tony answered with a laugh.

"That was only for a few hours. This is days we're talking about." Bruce huffed as Natasha moved in front of him to fix his hastily-put together tie.

Natasha listened to Bruce and Tony bicker as she worked, allowing herself to take her time in order to make sure it was perfect, and also because Bruce always smelled so good… like home.

"You've got this, Bruce." Natasha interrupted finally, her eyes on his collar as she corrected it. "We just need you close by if things go bad."

"I thought that was why I stayed behind in the first place." He said chuckling softly, his voice low and a bit husky due to how close she was. 

She noticed the look in his eyes as their gazes collided for a moment, and she nearly shuddered. A chill ran down her spine, but she had managed to hide her reaction by finishing with his tie and taking a step back, satisfied.

"Well yeah, but if HYDRA is on high alert now, they're going to be looking for someone like us to try and infiltrate their circle." Tony said, a bit loudly, obviously uncomfortable with whatever he had just watched happen between the two of them.

Steve must have seen it as well, his own awkward coughing audible over the rumbling of the Quinjet’s engines. 

"Romanoff may not have the few minutes it would take for you to get to her if somebody figured out who she was." He said quickly, joining Tony at the console. "That's why you're posing as her-"

"Bodyguard? Why would a secretary need a bodyguard?" Senator Chambre asked, his eyebrows raised as he gestured down the hall towards his office at the New York Municipal Building.

Natasha smiled innocently as they entered the large office, glancing over at Bruce in his black suit and sunglasses, a bit impressed at the serious mask he had managed to put over his emotions. It had taken a bit of practice, but once they found something for him to focus on, it was relatively easy for him to pretend he felt nothing but impassiveness. That, coupled with a deep brown wig, matching fake goatee, dark sunglasses and all black suit, he looked like anything but the fidgety scientist she was used to. To her, he almost looked like a Tony Stark wannabe.

She tried not to smirk as she remembered helping him pick out a good disguise, and remembered being mildly impressed at his physique while he was between outfit changes. The time he had spent with the team in the gym had definitely paid off, and she unashamedly catalogued the image of him shirtless and adorably confused away for later reflection.

"After the fiasco with Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts thought it would be best if we employed someone to keep watch over me until we were sure there were no more threats." She explained, taking the seat across from the senator at his desk, placing her hands in her lap. "I simply never ended his time with me, and he has been very useful, what with all the aliens descending from the sky…"

Senator Chambre chuckled at that, his thinning gray hair swaying slightly as he glanced down at her resume.

"Yes, I can see the need, now." He hummed, flipping through the pictures in her file before glancing up at her and shooting her a grin.

She simply smiled and nodded in response, glad that she had left a few photos of herself in what she liked to think of as her secretarial guise in the file. They were significantly more provocative than the usual business-like headshots, and even Bruce had become a fidgety mess when he'd seen them. 

"Um… are you… are you sure he has to see these? Isn't the goal for him to not come onto you? Because these..."

"It's all part of the process. No big deal. They're actually the same ones I used on Tony."

"Tony? Tony's seen these? What?"

Bruce's concern and apparent jealousy was cute, but Natasha knew what she was doing. She was playing off of Senator Chambre's history with women, using her ‘womanly wiles’ to help her get on his good side, and so far it seemed to be working. As she answered his questions, she realized that the only way this man could have gotten into office was with help from HYDRA, because his social skills left much to be desired. At some points he would be professional and straightforward, and at other times he would sound like a teenage playboy.

Bruce watched her interview with Chambre silently behind his sunglasses, forcing himself not to cringe at the obviously irrelevant questions he was asking her. What did her relationship status and measurements have to do with anything? 

But Bruce had to hand it to her, she knew how to put on an act. She answered the senator’s questions with ease and control, shooting him a smile when necessary and laughing lightly at his sorry attempts at humor. 

Bruce, on the other hand, was struggling to keep his face a blank canvas. He wasn’t used to hiding his emotions this way. That wasn’t to say that he wore his heart on his sleeve, years of being on the run and shrouding his identity had kept him from doing that, but standing there in silence, doing nothing more than staring at the senator while he blatantly ogled Natasha… he felt something boiling beneath his skin that had him slightly concerned. He nearly groaned in irritation. What was the matter with Hulk now? Never before had he been so close to the surface… What was causing this sensitivity lately? Bruce had spent years figuring out how to calm himself when the Hulk tried to make an appearance, and yet now it seemed that all those years had been in vain. As if on cue, Natasha turned and gestured to him calmly, nudging his hand with her own. The simple, brief moment of contact was enough to calm him, and he nearly sighed in relief. Instead, Bruce smiled, doing his best to mask his confusion behind a deep,

“Yes, ma’am?”

that made Natasha smirk in spite of herself. She could tell he was purposely deepening his voice to further mask his identity, and she found it adorably dorky. Very Bruce Banner-esque. She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Chambre.

“Perhaps you should bring the car around. Ms. Rushman and I have some private business to go over before we finish this interview.”

Bruce felt himself tense, his defenses raising significantly at the senator’s apparent superiority complex. A wave of unease suddenly washed over him at the idea of her being left alone with him, and he reflexively balled one hand into a fist to try and calm himself. He knew she could handle herself if need be, it was obvious that Chambre wasn’t hiding some rippling pectorals under that suit, but still. He opened his mouth to suggest that it was best he stuck around, but shut it when he saw the look Natasha was suddenly giving him. As much as it pained him, he understood what she was trying to communicate. In order to get the senator to let any secrets free, HYDRA or otherwise, they needed to be alone. She needed to seem vulnerable and unassuming. Which meant he had to go.

Biting the inside of his lip, he nodded once, glancing at the senator for a moment behind his sunglasses before leaving the office. Natasha watched him go, silently relieved to see his balled fist uncoil and slide into his pocket as he turned around the corner and out of her view. She knew he was uncomfortable with the idea of her and Senator Chambre being alone, but it was something that must be done, and they had all had to do something they didn’t want to in pursuit of answers. She turned her attention back to the grinning man in question across from her, lacing her fingers together on her lap.

“What did you want to discuss?” she asked in the most sickeningly sweet voice she could muster up.

Chambre smiled slyly, leaning forward a bit, his own interlaced fingers resting atop the file that contained her resume and such. His eyes ventured over her face, down her neck and flickered towards her chest before returning to where they started. Natasha forced back the urge to gag. She had been right. Bruce had only been out of the room for about 35 seconds and Chambre was already taking liberties.

“Ms. Rushman, if I were to hire you…" he began, a sly smirk on his lips. "and you should know, I’m leaning towards doing so… I would be hiring you, alone. I regret to say that your… charming companion would not be on the payroll.”

Natasha nodded understandingly, already anticipating this. She knew that Chambre would feel threatened by Bruce’s constant presence, especially considering the fact that the last five secretaries had ended up sleeping with him. She knew exactly what he was thinking. It would be very difficult and very awkward trying to seduce her when there was someone standing nearby at all times. So she gave him what he wanted.

“I would be much more comfortable if he were allowed to be at my side, as he usually is, and I would continue to pay him myself. But... I am able to dismiss him during private meetings if need be.” she said calmly, brushing a ball of lint from her skirt. She raised her eyes to his, her voice gaining a husky undertone similar to the one Bruce had used when he’d spoken to her earlier in the day. “If that suits you.”

Chambre’s eyes lit up, his posture straightening as he pulled out a contract, signed it with a flourish, and slid it over to her. Natasha assumed the smile he shot her way was meant to be seductive, but turned out to seem more sinister than anything else. It was fitting, considering the circumstances.

She gave him a very cookie-cutter smile back, signing the contract with her cover name. He looked over it for a few moments, then set it down and stood to his feet. Natasha stood as well, shaking his outstretched hand.

“It’s wonderful to have you as part of my staff, Ms. Rushman. I’m looking forward to becoming more well acquainted with your... work ethic. I'm sure we will learn much from each other.”

Natasha gave him the most innocent, oblivious smile she could, squeezing his hand slightly before pulling away.

"Looking forward to it, sir."

XXXXXX

Bruce stood by the car Tony had given them, a modified black Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Bruce almost hadn't wanted to use it, especially since there was no driver besides JARVIS to make room for a much larger seating area in the back. But Tony had insisted that nothing was more impressive than a nice car with tinted windows, and he had been right, judging from the low whistle Senator Chambre let out as he walked out of the main doors with Natasha, his hands in his pockets.

"Beautiful car, Ms. Rushman. Chevy Stingray?" He gestured to the car as they stopped at the top of the stairs.

"Of course." She replied with a smile. "A parting gift from Stark Industries."

"Tony always did have a good eye for gorgeous things…" Chambre trailed off, his eyes on Natasha as she glanced down the stairs and gave Bruce a gentle nod, confirming that all was well. Bruce bit his lip to keep from speaking when a long moment passed where the senator simply stared in slight awe at Natasha. And if he were honest with himself, he couldn't blame the man. He knew how breathtaking Natasha could be, especially when the sun caught her just right like it was now.

Thankfully Chambre seemed to shake himself back to reality, reaching out to shake Natasha's hand once more as he nodded towards Bruce at the base of the staircase. "Well, I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir." Natasha nodded, before turning and walking down the steps towards the car.

"All good?" Bruce asked when she reached the base.

"If that man looks at me like a piece of meat one more time, I swear somebody is gonna find his body in a broom closet." She muttered, looping her arm through his as they walked towards the car.

"Yeah, let's not do that." Bruce grinned, opening the back door for her and waiting for her to slide into the backseat. He closed the door behind her, sliding into the cramped passenger seat up front, next to the dummy driver as JARVIS asked if they were ready for their return to the Tower.

Once JARVIS had driven them a good distance away, Natasha spoke.

"JARVIS, full tint on the windows. I have got to get out of this skirt. I can barely move in this thing." She huffed, shifting around in the large limo-like space behind Bruce.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I'll be just a sec, Bruce." she said.

"Yeah, uh… no rush. Take your time." Bruce coughed uncomfortably, glad that she couldn't see the furious blush that covered his entire face. 

He tried not to listen to the shuffling he heard behind him, and it took every ounce of self control he had not to glance up into the rearview mirror and catch a glimpse of her figure through the darkened divider. He coughed uncomfortably, pulling out his headphones and blasting Letter Duet from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. 

What felt like hours later, his seat suddenly spun around to face the back seat of the car. Natasha smiled at him, fully dressed in denim jeans and a black tee. Her legs were crossed, a bottle of Gatorade in her right hand, her left hand hovering over the button that had spun his seat around.

"Still with us, big guy? Those couple of hours didn't take it completely out of you, did they?" She chuckled.

Natasha watched a dull blush creep up his neck as he chuckled uneasily, gently pulling his headphones from his head, letting them dangle around his neck.

"Well, it depends on if we made any headway with Chambre." he smiled awkwardly, shifting into a different seat and allowing the passenger seat to turn back around the right way.

"We didn't get any HYDRA-shattering info if that's what you're asking." She took a sip of her Gatorade. "I just signed the employment contract. "

"Oh, so he hired you already?" Bruce blinked. "Kind of quick."

"Don't look so shocked. I told you, I can be very persuasive." She laughed, tossing him a bottle of water.

"That… that's not what I meant, um…" he chuckled uneasily, barely catching it. "Thanks. What I meant was, if that's all you did, what did he want me gone for?"

"All he did was inform me that he would much rather you not be around." She smirked. "I think you scare him."

"I find that hard to believe." He chuckled, taking a long drink of water. "Bruce Banner doesn't scare people."

"He referred to you as charming." She laughed. "If that doesn't mean he's scared, I don't know what does. And may I remind you, you weren't Bruce Banner in there. You were…" 

She blinked, staring at him in silence for a moment. Bruce stared back, laughing when it dawned on him.

"I don't think we ever gave me a cover name."

Natasha laughed as well, running a hand through her hair.

"We need to fix that then. We can't keep referring to you as The Bodyguard. I refuse to be Whitney Houston in this situation."

"You remember that movie?" Bruce raised an eyebrow at her, mildly impressed.

"With Kevin Costner? Of course. Haven't seen it all the way through, but…" she shrugged, running a hand through her hair.

"Oh, well then I know what we're watching for our next movie night." He grinned. "And maybe my cover name should be Kevin."

"Eh… you don't look like a Kevin." Natasha smirked, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "More like a… Shaun."

"Shaun? Really?" Bruce frowned, laughter in his eyes.

"Hey I just call them as I see them." She laughed, putting her hands up in mock defense. "Don't like it? Change it."

"No, no... it's a good name. Shaun… Shaun Williams."

"Shaun Williams, Natalie Rushman's bodyguard." She smiled at him, mulling the names over in her head. "I like it."

Surprisingly, so did he.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha meets the real mastermind behind HYDRA's plot. Bruce gets uncomfortable with the attention she receives from the new man.

“Ms. Rushman, can I see you in my office for a moment? Bring the reports from the other day.”

Natasha fought back the urge to groan in exasperation as Senator Chambre’s voice crackled over the intercom next to her laptop, closing her eyes as she prayed to whatever entity that would listen to grant her the strength to avoid jumping from the nearest window. She resented having to leave the dark mahogany desk she sat at, the plush office chair she had been given had gotten irritatingly comfortable. She had to hand it to Chambre, he knew how to impress someone he was planning on sleeping with. In the past week, he had given her the desk chair, the state-of-the-art laptop in front of her, numerous expensive lunches for both she and Bruce, more than a few opportunities at promotions… and she had done nothing more than fake a few flirty conversations in passing and offer the occasional piece of sound advice.

She only wished her desk hadn’t been positioned outside of his office, a soundproof wall separating them and preventing her from hearing most of his conversations. But even though she had originally hoped to be able to overhear his most intimate exchanges with HYDRA, she didn’t exactly mind the fact that Chambre also couldn’t hear her own conversations… not that she had very many to hide. She and Bruce had enough secret phrases and code words to keep any suspicions at bay. Thankfully, not many people came to visit Senator Chambre, so much of her time was spent tossing codeword-filled theories back and forth with Bruce while the lobby was empty. He had been allowed to stay with her most of the time, either seated in a chair against the soundproof wall behind her, or standing at her side. This was where he was now, standing respectfully off to the side, peering down at her. He raised an eyebrow, watching as she sighed before pressing the button on the intercom near her left hand. 

“Right away, sir.” she replied with the most cheerful voice she could muster up.

Releasing the button, she rolled her eyes and closed down her laptop, ignoring Bruce’s grunt of frustration as he sat back down in his own desk chair against the wall, trying to ignore the sudden tightness in his chest.

“This is the sixth time in the past two days. What could he possibly want now? A cookie? A backrub?” he muttered, crossing his arms as he leaned further back into his chair. "What do you even do in there?"

"We look at paperwork that he obviously either doesn't understand or just wants me to look at. He flirts, I dodge. It's great." Natasha rolled her eyes, a laugh in her tone. She paused, a thought occurring to her that made her just a little bit giddy inside. "Are you...jealous, Mr. Williams…?” 

Bruce’s cheeks flared bright red, and he glanced away from her face to try and calm his suddenly erratic heartbeat. Jealous was not even remotely accurate enough of a word to describe the burning he felt in his chest whenever she was with that Chambre. He didn't dare deny its existence now, there was no point… but he did deny the idea of his jealousy being a result of his developing feelings for her.

"No, I'm not jealous. I just…" he shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest as he lowered his voice to keep anyone from hearing. "I'm just not a big fan of you being alone with him."

Bruce couldn't help how he felt. Senator Chambre made him uneasy, and it wasn't just because of the fact that he was involved in HYDRA's homicidal plans. Chambre had a reputation of being a sort of womanizer, either seducing or marrying almost every female he had ever hired. It didn't help that Natasha was very easy on the eyes...especially now, in her dress pants and blouse that was tighter than it probably should've been. Even Bruce had had to consciously remind himself not to stare. He could only imagine how Chambre was faring with his lack of inhibitions.

It bothered him that he could understand the Senator's point of view. Having a woman like Natasha on hand would conjure up certain feelings in any man. Calling her in for meetings a few times a day would seem like a dream. Being able to watch her walk in, head held high, scarlet tresses cascading gently around her shoulders, her eyes intense yet vulnerable, her long legs carrying her towards you at such a pace so perfect that it was almost torture… It only added fuel to the calculated fire that was undoubtedly already burning within Senator Chambre. Bruce knew the man had never met anyone like Natasha before, and he had learned from experience that getting to know her could be quite addicting. Natasha was talented that way.

Even so, Bruce knew that Natasha could take care of herself, no matter who was ogling her. She reminded him of that fact every single time they spared back at the Tower. He knew that if Chambre tried anything, Natasha had enough metaphorical and literal weapons in her arsenal to hold him off, or at least get him to stop. In all honesty, she could probably halt his actions with her words, rather than touching him.

He watched her stand to her feet and gather a manila folder with Chambre’s name on it, tucking it into the crook of her arm. His eyes ran over her frame briefly, reminding himself that beneath the calm, gorgeous demeanor lay a skillful assassin.

But that didn't stop the protective side of him, i.e. Hulk, from nagging at him to keep her where he could see her at all times. Bruce could practically hear the grunting in his subconscious, could feel the rage boiling just below the surface whenever Natasha was gone for too long. Hulk didn't like the idea of Natasha grappling with Chambre, even if they both knew she would win. Neither of them did.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not a huge fan of hanging out with him either." She spoke in a lowered tone, scooting past him towards Chambre’s office. "But we do what we have to do."

“Doesn't mean I have to like it.” he muttered uneasily as he stood, stepping over to open the door for her, clearing his throat to hide the sudden crack in his voice as he turned the doorknob for her. He nudged it open, the apprehension she had seen in his eyes a second ago slipping behind the mask she'd been seeing on and off for the past week that they'd been spending in Senator Chambre's company.

She gave him a silent nod of thanks as she discreetly tapped her earpiece, reminding him to listen in just in case. 

"I'll be back." She said rather loudly, trying to alert Chambre that her bodyguard did know that she was in here. That usually seemed to throw him off of his game a bit. 

Bruce nodded, albeit a bit hesitant, and she gave him a reassuring smile before disappearing into the office and into the company of the man she had grown to seriously dislike.

Bruce let out a long sigh once the door clicked shut behind her. Ever since that nightmare he'd had what felt like ages ago, he always had this wave of dread and fear run through him when she was out of his sight. The cause of it used to escape him, as if it were something tangible that was just out of reach. He'd be reaching for it with all he had, his fingertips would brush it, and then all at once he'd lose whatever it was in the depths of his mind. He figured it was the Hulk, his primitive mind and obvious attraction to Natasha fueling his apprehension.

But he had finally identified it. It was a strange feeling, lying in his bed that morning as he tried to grab a metaphorical hold on the dream he had just had. The ceiling was plain and empty as usual, but he continued to stare up at it while his mind ran through the dream frantically as if to catalog every detail before it all faded away. But even then, 30 seconds after he'd woken up, the dream was so faint that he could only recall the conversation and a few small details from it.

"Good morning, big guy. It's about time you got up." Her breath was warm on his cheek.

"You didn't have to let me sleep in."

"Yeah… well maybe I thought you needed it. You were up pretty late last night." There was a gentle squeak of what sounded like a mattress beneath him and the weight of a body pressed lightly against his chest. "Superheroes need extra sleep too, you know."

"Didn't know I was officially a superhero." His fingers ran over the cloth of a t-shirt, one that didn't feel anything like her pajamas. "Why were you up so early, anyway? Fury call you in?"

"Nope, just couldn't stand any more of your snoring." Her laugh sounded like the most beautiful melody, muffled by his pajama shirt. "I swear, sometimes I wonder if I'm sleeping next to you or the Hulk when you snore."

"You're not the easiest to sleep with, either, Ms. Widow. You've got feet colder than a Frost Giant. And did you know that you kick in your sleep?"

The thud of her playful punch only stung a little.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. You're a riot. And that's Mrs. Banner to you, sir. If you hadn't noticed by now, I'm married."

The glint of her wedding ring caught his eye, the cold diamond leaving an invisible imprint on his lips as he placed a small kiss there.

"Oh, I've noticed. I've definitely noticed. Don't have to worry about that."

He could still see the tender yet playful smile she'd had on her lips, the gentle twinkle of love in her eyes burned into his mind forever. His heart ached as he'd thought about it, the realization of what it all meant flooding his every thought and distracting him. It wasn't a concept he wasn't familiar with, just something he had been too afraid to acknowledge. A goal he felt was too sentimental and out of reach for someone like him.

And yet there it was, so plain and obvious that he was almost embarrassed that it had taken him so long to recognize it.

He didn't know if it was the slight tenderness in her voice whenever she spoke to him, the lingering warmth of her fleeting touches, or the spark of joy in her eyes whenever he made her laugh… or a combination of all of them. But whatever it was, it had caused Bruce to realize that the reason he was so protective of her, the reason Hulk just about panicked every time any semblance of danger came near her, the reason he'd been having rather interesting daydreams about her… was because he was falling in love with her. 

It was a logical conclusion if he thought about it. They had spent plenty of time together, had revealed the secrets of their pasts to each other, and had confided in each other when it seemed like no one else understood. And all his dreaming, both daydreams and regular dreams… like the one in the lab when she had told him to go to bed, or the dreams he'd had whenever she was away from the Tower, the ones where she would return beaten and bruised and he would have to tend to her while he cradled her in his arms. They were obvious clues, but still… the concept of he and Natasha one day sharing a life together seemed too far-fetched to make sense. How could a former assassin and science experiment gone wrong, who also both moonlighted as superheroes, be happy together like any other couple? He couldn't see them having dinner at the table in their home, or going over taxes in his office, or adjusting their budget to make room for a vacation or two.

But even as unlikely as a future with the woman of his dreams might be... he found it funny how out of every woman he'd ever met, every woman he'd interacted with, every woman he had dated or rather tried to date… he was falling for the woman, or rather assassin, who had once masqueraded as his best friend's secretary.

His feelings had apparently seeped into his behavior as well, judging from the way Natasha had asked if he was alright when he finally emerged from his bedroom that morning. He insisted that he was fine, but she seemed unconvinced, especially with the way she felt his heart pounding in his chest as she helped him get his disguise on. All she had been doing was adjusting his tie, but could practically hear the frantic thumping of his heart and feel his semi-erratic breathing ghosting over the top of her head. 

Natasha had known something was off with Bruce, it didn't take an Avenger to see that. He had practically stumbled out of his bedroom, hair disbelieved, tie undone, and a strange faraway look in his eyes. She'd had to physically touch him to get his attention, and when she did, he would jump and recoil as if burned. She asked him multiple times if he was alright, suggesting that maybe he should stay at the Tower for a little while, but he still insisted that he was fine. In fact, he nearly grimaced when she suggested that he not go to Chambre's office with her, so she assumed it had something to do with Chambre. It almost sounded like he envied the man, and she found it strangely attractive.

Over the last week, she had seen Bruce's reactions both when she entered Chambre's office, and when she returned to him. He always looked bothered when she was leaving, a darkness behind his eyes that she knew he thought she couldn't see. And when she came back, the darkness would be gone and she could practically see the tension melt out of his body. As adorable as it was, she could tell that he was having a rough time keeping his emotions in check, and realized that maybe this was too much for him.

"If you need a day or two off, that's fine. I can handle Chambre until you're feeling a little more grounded. I know undercover ops can take it out of you."

"No, no I'm fine, really. Just didn't sleep too well last night. I'm okay though."

She could see that trying to convince him further wouldn't work, so she laid her speculations about his behavior to rest for the time being and allowed him to walk her to the car.

XXXXXX

Natasha felt herself stiffen when she stepped into Senator Chambre’s office, a bit thrown off by the fact that another man had joined Chambre behind his desk. She hadn't even seen him walk by her desk on his way in, so she assumed he had come while she was away for lunch with Bruce. He was peering over Chambre’s shoulder, his finger skimming over a certain line on the paperwork they were going over. Natasha cleared her throat after a few moments, catching their attention as she schooled her features into the familiar one of collected-ness that Chambre was used to. Both men’s gazes shot up to her, and she was a bit shocked at how… handsome the new man was. His features were similar to Chambre’s, the shape of their eyes and faces nearly identical. But he was significantly younger, almost Natasha’s age by the looks of it, and Natasha realized that this must be Senator Chambre’s son, Matthew. She was surprised she hadn't realized it from the photos she had seen.

From what Chambre had told her, Matthew was his pride and joy. A scientific whiz kid, Matthew Thomas Chambre was the subject of numerous articles, detailing his many exploits and achievements. Skipping kindergarten, getting all As from 6th grade all the way through college, getting awards for his vocal and instrumental talents… He had become one of the leading biomedical scientists in the nation, something further praised by his plaques and photos posted all over Chambre’s office. In the back of her mind, she wondered how a man like Matthew could still be single. Biomedical scientists made an excellent amount of money, and there was no doubt that Matthew had had his fair share of women throwing themselves at him. But then again… if his dedication to his work was anything like another scientist she knew, work always came first. Relationships could wait. 

“Ah, Ms. Natalie Rushman.” Chambre smiled, standing to his feet. “Come, meet my son Matthew.”

Natasha gave him an easy smile, walking over and setting the manila folder on the desk. Matthew raised an eyebrow at her, reaching his hand out to shake hers.

“It is very nice to meet you, Ms. Rushman. My father has told me much about you.” Matthew said kindly, his voice smooth as caramel. His light brown eyes were reminiscent of Bruce’s, warm and full of innocent intentions... but Bruce's eyes were laced with a hesitancy she found oddly charming. Matthew’s were laced with a subtle hint of mischievousness that set Natasha a little on edge in a way she wasn’t particularly fond of… a pleasant way.

“Nice to meet you as well, Matthew. I've been told of your many accomplishments. Very impressive.” she forced a sincere smile as she shook his hand.

"Well, thank you." 

There was an odd pause, Natasha's gaze drifting back down to the folder on Senator Chambre's desk as Matthew continued to not-so-subtly examine her face with his eyes.

“Well," Chambre broke the silence with a decisive clap, gathering up a different stack of paperwork on his desk. "I’ve got a meeting in five minutes, so I’ll have to leave you two alone."

Natasha watched him for a moment, glancing at Matthew who seemed a bit startled as well, especially when Chambre turned to him and patted his shoulder meaningfully.

"I’d like you to fill Ms. Rushman in on what we've been working on. I’d like her to be in the know about what we've discovered. I think you’ll find it… invigorating, Ms. Rushman.”

Chambre noticed his son’s wary glance at Natasha, and smirked, squeezing his shoulder a bit before turning their backs to her and whispering in his son's ear. Natasha would have missed it, if she hadn’t been equipped with both a supersonic listening device and the ability to read lips even if they were obscured from her direct line of sight.

“This one is different.” Chambre mumbled.

“You said that about the last one and she ended up...disappearing with our research. How do you know she'll be any different?"

“That was months ago, we have safeguards in place now. And this one has direct ties to the man we need.”

“So did the last one, and you saw how that turned out.”

"You have to trust me, son. This time we will be successful."

Natasha managed to keep the bubbles of excitement she felt in her chest from showing on her face, realizing that she was finally going to get some useful information. 

But with this realization came even more questions. Who was the last woman they'd revealed their plans to? Where had she gone? Could it have been… No, that didn't make any sense.

While their backs were turned, Natasha reached up and brushed a hand over her earpiece, pretending to scratch an itch.

“You catch that, Bruce?” she hid behind a soft cough, her lips barely moving.

“Yeah, I got it.”

When Chambre and son turned back to face her, Natasha’s hand was halfway through her hair, sorting the few strands that had wiggled out of place. She flashed them a sweet smile, receiving completely oblivious smiles in return.

XXXXXX

The minute Senator Chambre left the office, Matthew gestured for Natasha to sit in his father’s chair.

“My father seems to trust you, and I’m sure that other chair is really uncomfortable.” he shrugged. “Power move intended to make those he’s interviewing squirm. So he can see how they perform under pressure.”

Natasha took Matthew in for half a second, deciding that he was not a threat, and took the offered seat.

"An interesting tactic." She smiled up at the man, crossing her legs and interlacing her fingers atop her knee.

"That's one way to describe it, Ms. Rushman." Matthew hummed, reaching for the Manila folder and flipping through it for a moment.

Realizing that Matthew Chambre might be more keen on divulging details than the senator, Natasha placed a hand lightly on his arm, forcing his gaze back to her face. Over her many years as an assassin, she had learned that touch was an integral and essential part of establishing any sort of connection with a target. That and personability. 

"Call me Natalie."

The slow smile that spread over Matthew Chambre's lips confirmed her theory, and the connection was formed.

XXXXXX

The next half an hour or so was filled with going over financial reports and press coverage notes, not at all what Natasha had been itching to examine. But she couldn’t let him become suspicious for any reason, so she pretended to be thoroughly interested in the different spreadsheets and notes he handed her.

He sat on the other side of the desk, his eyes glued to several sheets of paperwork between them, his weight on his wrists as he leaned forward. She had to admit, his work ethic was admirable. He was here to conduct business, not have a social meet, unlike the meetings she had had with his father. Matthew knew what had to get done, and it actually took some effort on Natasha’s part to get his focus to shift towards what felt like the elephant in the room.

“So, Matthew. Your father mentioned a… project of some sort?”

Natasha noticed the sudden tightness in the man’s stance, and took note of it, realizing that she was slowly walking a path of suspicion. So she let out a gentle breath and relaxed her shoulders ever so slightly in order to convey the innocent curiosity that wouldn't alarm Matthew.

"Ah..yes, well… it's nothing you should concern yourself with just yet, Natalie. Just some discoveries that our private researchers have made. Scientific work, data analysis… nothing you'd be very interested in." He chuckled softly, his eyes on his work as he flipped to the next page. 

But Natasha could hear the strain in his voice, could see the forcefulness in his movements… and realized that perhaps Senator Chambre and his son weren't as in sync as she first thought. Senator Chambre had been all for bringing her into their plans, while Matthew Chambre was holding back, the fate of their last accomplice giving him pause. 

But even with all his hesitation, she saw the sudden change in his behavior, the slightly deeper tone in his voice, and the way he refused to look at her. He was trying his hardest not to reveal the truth of what he and his father were involved in. She could work with that conflict.

"Oh, I've dabbled a bit in the sciences." She said calmly, brushing an eraser shaving from the paperwork in front of her. 

"Oh, really?" Matthew glanced up at her for a brief moment before returning his eyes to his work.

Not good enough. She needed to dig a bit. Push some buttons.

"Yes...Working for Tony Stark, it was nearly impossible to avoid picking up a thing or two.” she said methodically, pausing ever so slightly after she mentioned Tony's name. It was a shot in the dark, but she knew that there were two types of people in this business: People who loved Tony Stark. And people who hated Tony Stark. She could only hope Matthew wasn't in the very small minority of people: the ones who didn't care about Tony Stark.

Thankfully, he wasn't. 

Matthew's gaze finally met her own, his eyes a bit colder than she'd ever seen them in their short time together. She felt herself tense just slightly, a bit excited that she had finally hit a nerve. It was clear to her that Matthew Chambre was not a member of the Tony Stark Fan Club, which could work in her favor.

"Yes… my father mentioned you previously worked for him."

"Is that… a problem?" Natasha prodded gently, softening her gaze, hoping to break down the wall he was slowly putting up.

Matthew seemed to shake himself after a moment, returning his gaze back to the paperwork in front of him and scrawling his name across the bottom with a flourish. 

"No, no. Of course not. Tony Stark is a brilliant man." He shrugged, running a hand through his hair.

"... a bit egotistical, if you ask me." She said offhandedly, smiling when Matthew glanced up at her and chuckled.

"You said it, I didn't." he smirked. “But, while we’re on the subject of previous connections, you’ve also worked with Dr. Banner... correct?”

It took every taught nerve in her body to keep from tensing at the simple mention of his name. It didn’t help when she heard Bruce nearly choke on his own spit when he heard it over the comms. A million thoughts ran through his head, similar to the ones running through Natasha's.

Why was Matthew interested in Bruce and not Tony? What did he want? Had he realized that Bruce had created the serum…? In a way, it wasn't the most difficult situation to decipher. It was well known that Bruce Banner had done some research on the original super soldier serum that had created Captain America, and even more well known that something had gone horribly wrong. And ever since the Battle of New York, everyone knew that the menacing Hulk was actually mild-mannered Dr. Bruce Banner. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. 

How could he have been so stupid to think he would be safe on this mission?

“Yes, I’ve...met him once or twice. Shy man. Brilliant, but...squirmy.” Natasha said nonchalantly, swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat, trying to deflect Matthew's interest in Bruce. "Stark actually thought he was a therapist the first time they met."

“Only Tony Stark would come to such an incorrect conclusion. Dr. Banner is far too brilliant to be a therapist." Matthew chuckled, stacking the last of the paperwork in front of him and sliding it into a bright red folder. "But Dr. Banner is a bit fidgety, isn’t he?”

“You’d be fidgety too if you were constantly trying to keep the Not-So-Jolly Green Giant at bay 24/7.” Bruce muttered, both surprised that he had just found the only member of the Bruce Banner fan club, and offended that he had just been described as 'fidgety'.

Natasha coughed quietly to hide the sudden laugh that escaped her, smiling apologetically at Matthew as she made a mental note to scold Bruce about his Tony-like quips. Thankfully, Matthew seemed just as oblivious as before, and she silently gave thanks that her training had prepared her for situations like this, situations where she had to hide her emotions and put on a facade.

"Yes, definitely fidgety. In fact, during the few times I've seen them work together, consulting or otherwise…" Natasha fought to keep herself from rambling, desperate to dig Bruce out of the situation Matthew was trying to put him in. She knew he didn't want to be a part of this as himself. Bruce was just fine being Shaun Williams. He only agreed to do the whole charade because he knew he wouldn't be doing anything as himself, further distancing the Hulk by dissociating. Natasha owed it to him, she had to at least attempt to keep him away from it all. "I'm pretty sure Stark did all of the actual work."

“I take it you're not a fan of Dr. Banner.” 

Matthew took a slow breath, his eyes searching hers with that quiet intensity that put her on edge. Before she could defend herself, he spoke again. “But...it would be nice if you could set aside your personal reservations to try to get in touch with him. He could provide some valuable assistance for our project. To ensure we're doing everything correctly and avoid any...mishaps."

“Mm… no thank you.”

Natasha bit her lip in thought, allowing herself a moment to organize her thoughts as she ignored Bruce’s irritated comment. A hard chill ran down her spine, averting her gaze from Matthew's. She knew she had to choose her next few words carefully. How she responded to him would determine just how open he would be with her about this project Senator Chambre was involved in… that he apparently didn’t want her to know about just yet. 

"Yes, well… maybe if I knew more about the project itself I…"

Matthew's features clouded, and she realized that she had lost him behind that wall she had worked so hard to slip behind. But even with that wall in place, his gaze softened and he leaned towards her, placing a hand on her wrist. It took every taught nerve in her body not to flinch or shift away, and remain glued to her seat.

"Natalie… " his voice was almost gentle, soothing in a way that she couldn't describe. "You would be a great help to both my father… and me."

Natasha searched his eyes, and realized that as much as it pained her to do so, she had to make Matthew think he was getting access to Bruce and his research. She could only imagine what Matthew would do if she refused. She could see the potential behind that tender facade he was putting on. She could see the tension behind that softened gaze… and knew that now was not the time to test his resolve. Especially with Bruce on the other side of the office door.

“I… I'm sure Stark has his contact information somewhere. I will make sure to call and ask.”

“No, no he does not. Natasha…”

“Wonderful,” The sudden perk in Matthew's voice, and change in his demeanor, caused her to jump a bit before regaining her composure, standing at the same time he did. “You would be doing us a huge favor. This project is very ambitious, and Dr. Banner may be the only man who can offer the insight we need.”

“Here’s some insight: Don’t do it.”

Bruce's commentary was beginning to grate on her nerves. She had enough to worry about as it was, she didn't need Bruce arguing one-sidedly in her ear.

“Yes, well…” Natasha nodded slowly, gathering her things. “I do know that Dr. Banner is not the most sociable man. It might take some time to convince him to meet with you.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Natasha couldn’t stop the urge to roll her eyes as Matthew’s gaze shifted from her for a moment. She quickly turned her attention back to the chuckling man in front of her, a bit put off by the mix of both darkness and warmth that had invaded his eyes that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up ramrod straight.

“I’m sure you’ll think of something, Natalie.” Matthew smiled as he turned, gesturing towards the door, and began following her as she walked towards it. "Perhaps you could brainstorm with your bodyguard."

Natasha’s voice caught in her throat as she inadvertently turned on her heel to face him again, tightly clutching the folders in her arms. Could Matthew tell that Bruce was in disguise? Were both of their identities in danger? Could she handle it if he turned on her right here and now?

"My bodyguard?" She blurted, inwardly cursing herself the minute the words left her lips. So much for playing it cool.

"Yes… your bodyguard. Is that a strange suggestion?" Matthew raised an eyebrow. "I know my father doesn't get many visitors. Perhaps you could brainstorm during your down time. 'Two heads are better than one', right?"

Schooling her features back to their reserved state, she smiled and nodded at Matthew, who was looking less and less like the ‘angelic golden child’ with every passing minute.

It was hard to believe, but she understood now. Maybe Senator Chambre was not the mastermind behind HYDRA’s plans… Matthew Chambre was. Maybe the senator was just a pawn, a figurehead. If this was true, she had to admit that Matthew was very good at hiding his true intentions. But it was clear that the idea of getting in touch with Bruce, who apparently had the key that would lead to the success of his plan, was so enticing that he couldn’t keep his malicious excitement hidden very well… And that was frightening to say the least. Matthew may not have been the most muscular man, but Natasha had a feeling he could hold his own if it came down to it. 

“I will discuss it with him and see what he thinks.”

"Very good."

Natasha smiled and exited the office, grateful that she had her arms full of paperwork so Matthew couldn't see her trembling hands.

XXXXXX

"Well the man doesn't like Tony."

Natasha threw the briefcase holding her laptop onto the couch in the common area of Avengers Tower, kicking off her shoes and opening the mini fridge that rose out of the coffee table. Bruce tore off his wig and moved towards the opposite couch, sipping his can of Pepsi, setting their bag of leftover Chinese food on the coffee table next to the minifridge. They hadn’t left Chambre’s office till late that evening, then spent half an hour at the Chinese takeout restaurant in complete silence as they waited on their food, reflecting on the events of the day. It felt weird not speaking for so long, but neither of them could bring themselves to speak freely about it in public. Even the hour and a half they spent eating their chinese on a park bench was spent in contemplative near-silence.

"More like can’t stand him. I wasn’t even in the room and I could tell that." he shrugged, then huffed and raised an eyebrow at her, his voice gaining an irritated tone to it. “And good job basically volunteering me to help HYDRA out.”

“What did you want me to say? He's already in love with you.” Natasha sighed, sitting down on the couch and running a hand through her hair. "Basically runs the Bruce Banner Fan Club. And besides, you heard it. He has his suspicions about you. He wouldn’t have mentioned undercover you while talking about the real you if he didn’t. If I would have told him no, that would’ve just made him even more suspicious.”

“You could have thought of something.” Bruce muttered, his gaze dropping to his Pepsi, his frown deepening.

“Oh really, now? I just waltz up to him and say,” she stood, batting her eyelashes and giving him a smile that was painfully sweet. “‘I’m so sorry, sir, Dr. Banner doesn’t feel like helping out a bunch of psychopaths, you'll just have to find another scientific genius with gamma radiation experience.'” 

“No, I guess that wouldn’t help us much, would it?” Bruce sighed, taking a long sip before sighing heavily. “You know I’m no good undercover when I’m alone. And we both know that the Other Guy hates Chambre. I don’t even want to think about what might happen if I lose control. A lot of people could get hurt…"

“Bruce, you don’t give yourself enough credit.” Natasha sighed, sitting down next to him, placing her hand on his arm. “You’ve got such a tight lid on it… And you know that even if you lose control, I’ll be right there with the Lullaby.”

“And if the Lullaby doesn’t work?” Bruce said bitterly, his eyes still not meeting hers. He understood her confidence in the Lullaby, it had been successful nearly every time it was attempted since its creation. But what she didn’t understand was the constant battle he faced every time he saw her walking towards him on the battlefield. 

Hulk enjoyed destruction. He craved it. The rush of pure unbridled adrenaline they felt as they finished transforming was like fuel to the Hulk, he lived for it. Trying to reign him back in after a battle was difficult in ways he couldn't even describe. Even when he began chanting her name in his head to calm the Hulk, that still didn't stop him from trying to stop Bruce from coming back.

"The Lullaby will work, Bruce. But only if you think it will." She settled herself next to him, nudging his shoulder. "I can't do this by myself. If you don't think it'll work, Hulk won't either. He won't see the purpose behind it and we'll never bring you back. You've gotta help me out here."

Bruce glanced over at her, a tiny smile on his lips. He knew she was right. The times the Lullaby had failed were the times when he was so worried that it wouldn't work that Hulk ignored his pleading and continued to rampage. But when he believed it would work, when he truly believed she was right, that was when Hulk would step aside for the time being. 

"Alright, I'll do my best to help... but also not help them out." He shrugged, his face feeling a bit warm when he realized how close she was. Their shoulders were touching, but his body tingled as if she were right on top of him. "I can't believe you talked me into this."

Natasha chuckled as she watched him stand up, rather suddenly, and gather up their leftovers. She followed him to the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he put everything away.

"You should know by now, we all have to do things we don't want to stop this all from happening.” she said, crossing her arms. "For instance, I have to meet with Matthew Chambre tomorrow afternoon, and he's requested that we meet alone… for lunch."

Bruce cried out as he straightened suddenly and bumped his head on the refrigerator door. He rubbed his sore scalp as he stared at her, his eyes filled with the familiar concern she had gotten used to seeing.

"He wants to take you out?"

"If by out you mean out to lunch, then yeah I guess."

"Natasha…" he sighed, closing the fridge and running a hand through his hair, "The main reason I agreed to this undercover thing is because you said we would always be near each other. And you hardly know Matthew!"

"I've been alone with him before, Bruce, and I know that if he tries anything I can take him." She raised an eyebrow. "What, you don't think I can?"

"It's not about whether or not you can take him, Natasha." He sighed heavily, leaning against the counter. "That's not what I'm saying at all."

"Then what are you saying? Because right now it sounds like you don't think I can take care of myself." She huffed, her eyes narrowing. She couldn't help the anger bubbling in her chest, couldn't stop the words flying from her lips. The very idea that Bruce might underestimate her abilities offended her more than she thought it would. "You aren't actually a bodyguard, I don't actually need protection."

"I know, I know, I just… I don't-" he nearly growled in frustration, his body tensing to the point where the veins in his arms bulged a bit.

"You just what, Bruce? Don't trust me?" Her voice tightened, her hands gripping her crossed arms as she struggled against the urge to just walk away from this conversation and give him the cold shoulder. "I thought you knew me better than that."

"I do!" He exclaimed, forcing himself to calm down when he saw her physically tense. He followed her gaze to his arms, where a wave of green ombre had begun creeping down towards his hands. He took a deep breath, relaxing his stance as he saw her stance relax as well. "I do… I do trust you, Natasha. You know I do. It's just…I-"

Bruce stopped himself as their eyes met, and he realized that maybe now wasn't the time to tell her why he was so opposed.

"Just be careful, okay? We don't know what all Matthew is capable of."

Natasha's shoulders relaxed fully, and she gave him a smile. She knew there was more to this little argument they had just had, but knew Bruce wouldn't reveal anything until he was ready. And that was fine. She too had things she needed to tell him, but they had a mission to complete first.

"I'm always careful."

Their relationship… or whatever it was... could wait.

A long silence passed between them, both of them silently agreeing to return to the common area of Avengers Tower. Natasha sat on the couch, and Bruce sat in the adjoining loveseat. They were quiet for a while, until Bruce chuckled softly and looked over at her.

"...You really think I'm a scientific genius?"

Natasha rolled her eyes, a sly smirk on her lips.

"Don't let it go to your head, Dr. Banner."

"Alright, alright." He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "I just wanted to clarify… for future reference."

"I swear, you're almost as bad as Tony."

"Just practicing my Shaun Williams." Bruce grinned.

"Speaking of your alter ego… Wanna watch The Bodyguard?" She smirked. "For research purposes."

"Research purposes. For the mission. Of course." He chuckled, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows as he stood. "I'll grab the popcorn and meet you downstairs in say… 5 minutes?"

"It's a date."


End file.
